Boys Over Flowers II
by MissSugarQuill
Summary: Bella Swan is still attending the most prestigious school in the country, but as she moves on towards graduation, she still hadn't counted on contending with the many obstacles one Edward Cullen would continue to bring to her life. HYD/BOF-based.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own T_wilight_ (the characters), _Hana Yori Dango _or _Boys Over Flowers _(their awesome storylines!).

**Boys Over Flowers, Part II**

**Chapter One ll Prologue**

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Everyone longs to be amazed. To feel dazzled, to feel excited. To feel like they belong and have a place in the busy, hectic world we live in. To be invigorated, to be charged, to be buzzed for a worthy cause and purpose in life.

At least, that's what was running through my mind as I stood in the colourful streets of Tokyo, Japan.

The city of Tokyo is home to ten per-cent of Japan's total population. It has a total land area of two thousand, one hundred and eighty-seven square kilometres, and when it is included with the neighbouring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, the Tokyo conurbation has a total population of over thirty three million inhabitants. That's the largest population concentration in the world.

Which explains why the people here are so frenzied. Why there appears to be a hundred store signs on one street. Why there is so much traffic, so much movement, so much hustle and bustle. No one even spared me a second glance, the strange, pale-skinned girl with the lighter hair and lighter eyes, obviously not a local.

"This is... unbelievable..." I muttered under my breath, staring around me wide-eyed and fearful. It was too overwhelming for me. My heart was beating very quickly, like it always did when I was nervous or anxious.

Knowing I couldn't stand there on the streets forever, clutching desperately onto a tourist map and dictionary, I started to follow people down the street. I had no idea where I was going. I had no idea what I was doing. In the back of my sane mind, in its recluse somewhere, I was trying to find someone who could speak English. But none of the faces that passed me looked eager to stop and chat, and I was too timid to initiate.

_Because I wanted to see him._

The more panicked and desperate I became, the faster I walked. I suppose that's how I unknowingly ended up in an alleyway.

My breath got caught in my throat as no less than five men emerged from the sides, as if spotting prey that had landed right in their trap. They were not the friendly faces I was searching so keenly for. There was an unpleasant, vile sort of look on their faces as they encircled me. One spat on the ground. Another smiled excitedly. They conversed in low murmurs, never taking their eyes off me.

In that instant, I knew that I had never felt scared in my life until then.

_Because I missed him._

I was paralysed to the spot, still clutching my bag to my chest. My instinct to fight was nowhere to be found. I couldn't scream. I couldn't even shut my eyes. Their leers were imprinted in my mind. Terror had incapacitated me.

_Because I really, really, really missed him..._

A shriek left me as one of them snatched my bag and another pushed me to the ground, sneering something in their own language. I saw their hands reaching down towards me, and instinctively I cringed into my own, bracing myself for the worst. I didn't realise it until later, but I was screaming his name the whole time.

"_Yamete._"

A single voice cut through the men's jeering and my own cries. It was calm and deadly, full of a very real threat.

At once, the men left me to advance on the newcomer. They sounded angry and spiteful now for being interrupted. I was left trembling on the ground, slowly fastening my disbelieving eyes on the person who had come.

_...I came all the way here, eleven thousand kilometres from America. It was an action I had taken with mounting courage and doubt, and never had I considered that I would end up in this situation._

_

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A/N: Just a tidbit. :) The next chapter will be longer. Yay for the second part of Hana Yori Dango! It's when a lot of drama and sadness ensues, but every love story has some of those, rightio? Hehehe. By the way, I love how some of you are reading this with the dramas in mind - I hope it's still interesting for you guys. - msq.


	2. Questions

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight (the characters), Hana Yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers (their awesome storylines!).

**Boys Over Flowers, Part II**

**Chapter Two ll Questions**

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_One month earlier._

"What is _that_, Bella? Why don't you ever eat off our school's banquet table? It's there for a reason, you know."

Tanya Denali's expression was distasteful as she surveyed my mother's packed lunch. Her two cronies, Irina and Lauren, were right beside her, identical looks of perplexity on their faces. In my head, I had always deemed them the triplets. Our relationship had improved slightly over the year, and where there had been scorn and resentment before now lay mere difference and mild intolerance. Still, we would never be friends. It was a sad tale.

"It's kimbap," I explained patiently, "Korean-style sushi."

"But - there's _cheese_ in it," Lauren commented in disgust, "Sushi doesn't have cheese in it."

I sighed inwardly. Most of the conversation the triplets and I had seemed to revolve around my food. If there was one thing that hadn't changed in the past year, it was the gulf between my world and the world of my fellow peers.

As the wealthiest, most influential and most prestigious school recognised both nationally and internationally, St. Meyer is a fine institution only for the country's cream of the crop. The students here are all children of successful entrepreneurs, powerful politicians and high-ranking CEOs. They were royalty in their own right; they only wore the most expensive brands and discussed the most outrageous things. The other day I'd overheard a boy talking about how his parents had bought him a pet elephant when he was seven. He sold it again a few weeks later when he got bored of it.

"What's so bad about that? You never got an elephant as a kid?"

I looked up in alarm and a grin broke across Alice Brandon's face. "Kidding, just kidding," she said blithely as we walked through the courtyard of the school, "Ah, dear Bellabee. I find you as refreshing as you find us frustrating and ridiculous."

"I don't think _you're_ ridiculous," I said. "Well - not as ridiculous, at least," I amended, and she laughed.

To a normal student like myself who had arrived at St. Meyer on a scholarship, everything was so unbelievable, so ridiculous, so outrageous. That was the very beginning when I first entered the school, almost a year and a half ago. The massive entrance hall, the surging fountain, the pseudo cafeteria, more like a fancy European cafe than a school cafeteria - it had all been so overwhelming.

"This is such a far walk," puffed Alice, clutching at her side.

"But it's worth it," I said cheerfully, "Come on, slowpoke, we're almost there!"

"You owe me a box of your mum's kimbap. And a song."

I chuckled, "Speaking of kimbap, the triplets challenged my desire to eat my own lunch today..." I continued my lunch tale as we walked towards the school stadium, a place of peace, quiet and beauty away from the main campus. I used to come here a lot when things at school reached a particularly low point, but it had already been a couple of months since my last visit. Alice Brandon, my first friend at St. Meyer, was faithfully accompanying me this time.

At last, we deposited ourselves at the top of the stands so we could overlook the emerald green patch of grass below us. The wide, empty stadium was always so refreshing; I sat for a long, contented moment, allowing the vastness and stillness to sweep over me. Alice didn't seem too intrigued by all this. She was still struggling to catch her breath from the step-climbing, and as soon as she had caught it, she began pestering me for a song.

I complied, pulling out my violin and playing one of her favourites. The pixie girl automatically quietened down, and I smiled as she sat still and listened to the notes. Her eyes were filled with tears by the end of my playing. This didn't faze me like it had the first time she'd started to cry.

"Oh, Alice," I said, squeezing her by the shoulders.

She gave a hearty sniff, "It's so beautiful."

"Listen to yourself. Cheese and corn roll mixed into one," I snickered.

"I don't care if I sound corny."

As we playfully bickered, I glanced around at the seats surrounding us. The stadium really was empty. Nobody came here, not anymore. I smiled vaguely, remembering my first visit here when I accidentally awoke an unexpected person napping in the stands.

My first impression of St. Meyer wasn't fuelled only by the frivolous and materialistic lives the students led, but by the corruption and domination lorded by a group of boys named F4. Up until last year they had ruled the school with a deadly combination of fear, power and popularity.

But those days of the red card, of senseless bullying and of the Ring of Judgment were legendary now, something of the past.

One of the four had left to study abroad, and the other three members had gone on to graduate from St. Meyer School. The graduation ceremony had been a hyped-up event, and it was a striking image to see the three of them strut down towards the stage in their designer clothes while the rest of their year stood in their graduation gowns. But that was the exclusivity and privilege these incredibly influential boys yielded. When I'd stood as part of the crowd, watching them from a distance, I felt like I didn't know them at all - but then after the ceremony they stood and talked to me with their usual personalities unfolding, and they were just normal boys again.

"So what does the 'F' even stand for?" I wondered out loud as Alice and I walked back to the school to get to her car.

"I have no idea," Alice said, after a careful glance at me. I chose to ignore that. "Famous? Fabulous? Fantastic? Flower?"

"Flower," I repeated, laughing, "Hey, there might be some logic in that. Mum and Dad told me this saying once - "boys over flowers". Meaning not to judge a book by its cover, essentially. To value character and heart over superficial beauty."

"Wow, that's deep, And you call _me_ the philosophical one. Or maybe they thought they were all going to blossom into beautiful flowers one day - metaphorically, of course. And in that case, they _are_ quite flowery..."

She trailed off and I smirked, quite sure of who she was thinking of.

Jasper Whitlock was one member of F4. Quiet and refined, Jasper's grandfather had been the former president of the United States, but he never talked about this. He was a private, close-minded sort of person, although one Alice Brandon had recently been breaking into his shell. Of the four boys, Jasper was the calm, logical and rational one, and in the absence of their leader it appeared these days as though his opinion made the final call.

Next was Emmett McCarty, who always had dozens of girls chasing after him. To put it bluntly, he was the playboy of the group; girls were automatically drawn to his flirty and charming nature and he loved it. However, he was also highly intelligent with an ambitious future in taking over his family's empire. There'd been recent rumours, too, that he was somehow connected with the underground mafia. Emmett could be the most intimidating of F4, but I really admired him because he had a discerning, caring and kind heart. Of the group, he was the voice of reason.

Then there was Jacob Black. Apparently he came from a lineage of famous artists, but you never would have guessed just by looking at him. The most I'd ever seen him do was jog and take naps at the stadium. And yet...

_"You're a really funny kid, you know that?"_

_"I wonder why I didn't fall for you earlier."_

...Jacob Black had been my first crush. Mysterious and seemingly cool and arrogant, Jacob was the only one to show kindness to me during my very dark first few weeks at St. Meyer.

Since graduation he'd gone onto college, which was a surprise in itself, but unlike the others Jacob hadn't changed at all. I wondered if he had found a new place to nap on campus. He was the only one of F4 who I still saw regularly. Those times I spent with Jacob were always so carefree and fun. He'd become a really good friend to me since those silly days of my rosebud crush.

"And that's why I never - AHHH!"

Alice shrieked suddenly in mid-sentence and leapt backwards; I imitated her a second later. A white Volkswagen Rabbit had stopped swiftly in our path, and as the driver window slid down Jacob stuck his head out and grinned.

"Hey," he greeted simply.

Alice was breathing loudly, one hand clamped over her heart. "Why do you guys always have to do that?" she complained, "I know it's really cool and impressive, but seriously, you could have killed us!"

Jacob's grin widened and he beckoned us in, "Want to go for a drive? We can grab a bite."

Alice had to go home early to prepare for her cousin's birthday party the next day, so Jacob and I drove out to a small Italian restaurant in town for an afternoon snack and a conversation catch up. For half an hour we talked about the usual things - school, studying, college. I asked about Leah Clearwater, who for the past year had been studying for the top-notch French law exam. The rumour that she'd been engaged to the French official's son had been just that - a rumour. At any rate, Jacob seemed perfectly at ease whenever he talked about Leah; nonchalant but eager to share, like talking about an old, good friend.

I was twirling spaghetti around my fork during a lull in our conversation when Jacob spoke.

"Has Edward called you lately?"

I stopped and looked up across the table at him. He was surveying me casually, one hand supporting his chin.

"Nope," I replied as nonchalantly as possible, though inside my heart was beating very fast.

He sighed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, "It's been a long time since I spoke to him, too. I wonder what he's up to."

"I'm sure he's busy running around Japan, up to no good..." I said lightly, before adding in a mutter, "Like usual."

Jacob seemed amused as his eyes regarded me shrewdly. Leaning forward, he intoned, "Be honest with me, Bella. You miss him, don't you?"

My chest was starting to ache from the way my heart was beating, but I put all my energies into scoffing and saying flippantly, "Not at all. If he was here he'd just drive me crazy again. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my studies or on practising my violin. I like my peaceful and quiet life, thank you." I flashed a jaunty grin at Jacob, who didn't seem altogether convinced.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded, "Of course I am."

Jacob didn't bring it up again, for which I was very grateful. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about other things and taking a visit to the park, throwing bread into the pond to feed the ducks. I tried hard not to think about the one thing that kept trying to consume my thoughts and feelings. It was a relief when I was in the refuge of my bedroom after dinner.

A sigh escaped me as I sank down onto my bed, gazing unseeingly at my pastel walls.

And finally, the leader of F4, Edward Cullen.

_That idiot,_ I thought fiercely as the dull ache made itself known in my chest again.

He's the heir to the most powerful corporation in the United States of America, Meyer Group. He's an exceedingly arrogant, self-centered, hot-headed and insufferable fool. And yet in spite of all this...

_"You know if people saw you running after me like that, they might think you've fallen for me."_

_"And what if I have? What if I have fallen for some stupid, crazy, unreasonable idiot? Does that mean anything to him? Or is he just going to make his own decisions and fly off somewhere like Japan - ?"_

...Edward Cullen is also the one that I love. Almost ten months had passed since I'd last seen him, but even up until this moment I could honestly say that I loved him. But I would only admit it to myself, from the very bottom of my heart, when I was being truly honest and open about how much I actually missed Edward. No one knew. Jacob didn't know. Even Alice didn't know. Sometimes I even fooled myself into thinking that I didn't care anymore.

But I knew I did.

For the first few months after Edward had left for Japan, we were in constant contact with each other. At first, he called me every night and would send me messages at random intervals during the day. A few weeks later, as we both started getting busy, the calls became less and less frequent. But he would always ring at least twice a week and we would while away the hours about whatever was going on in our lives.

But about three months ago, the calls stopped altogether. I stopped expecting to see random texts from him waiting in my inbox. After awhile, I stopped expecting his late night phone calls. And after some more time, I stopped expecting him to pick up when I tried to reach him. His phone was always unavailable and none of my messages were getting replies.

At first, I was worried something had happened - but then in a conversation Emmett mentioned how he and Edward had briefly chatted about something trivial the other day, and I knew that everything was fine. Only everything was _not_ fine. I felt confused and hurt, but I was too proud and timid to do anything about it. I mentioned to F3 and Alice about how Edward and I were talking to each other less, but they didn't know that I hadn't been in contact with him for months. For some reason, I didn't want to let them know.

And so the weeks went by, the months went by... and still not a single word from Edward Cullen.

Thinking about Edward and our months of silence hurt, so I blocked him out altogether. Alice and Jacob knew something was wrong, but they were being careful about it. They knew Edward had become a sensitive subject. I distracted myself with family, work and studies, and for the most part I was too tired and busy to dwell too much on it. Somewhere along the way I deluded myself into thinking too much time had passed and that I had moved on from any lingering feelings I had for Edward Cullen. That was easy to believe during the day time on most days.

Absently, I reached for the charm around my neck and ran my finger around the shape of a lion.

But on some nights, when I'm by myself in my room, it starts to hurt again. And I know that I still care for him too much.

* * *

It was Saturday the next day and Alice had invited me to her cousin's birthday party, to be held at the Brandon residence. It was going to be a big affair, with all the family coming around to celebrate. I suppose that was how the wealthy threw their parties - big and grand. Alice's parents and maids had been preparing their house for days now.

An hour before the party started, we were both weaving through the shopping mall. Alice's nerves were frayed. She'd only just picked up her present for the birthday girl, a beautiful new coat in a large pink box done up with a white bow.

"We still need to grab some beans for the bean bags, I don't know why there are always things left till the last minute - " a near-hysterical Alice jabbered, knocking four bags of beans into the trolley.

"Oooh, he's _so_ good-looking, check him out on page four."

"Why doesn't anyone know his name?"

A gaggle of girls a year or two younger than us were poring over a magazine. Both Alice and I glanced at the picture board on the magazine rack, which was featuring a boy about our age posing for an expensive brand of clothes. He was very good-looking, at least with all the make-up and Photoshop that must have enhanced his face. With an arm slung around him was an older female model. They looked alike.

"Oh, it's those mystery models again," Alice mentioned, distracted from her party-angst for the moment.

I glanced at her, "Mystery models?"

"Yeah. The two siblings. They've been doing a lot of modelling for different brands, but no one knows who they are. It's just a huge hype, but the whole unknown business is really making people excited. And the fact that they're brother and sister - I don't know, it adds a bit of a quirk to it all. It's cute and refreshing, I suppose, compared to the usual couple."

My eyes lingered on the poster for a few seconds longer before we hurried on our way. That piece of information about the mystery models was already at the back of my mind by the time we made it to the check out. Little did I know how my life would be impacted by it in the few weeks to come.

We zoomed back to Alice's place in record time, where she proceeded to force one of her expensive dresses on me and fix my hair and make-up. The party began in their elaborately decorated back garden, filled with what seemed like a hundred members of their family. The birthday girl, turning sixteen, was a tall, beaming blonde who looked nothing like Alice.

"Are these really all your cousins?" I whispered as everyone applauded after the song.

"Cousins, aunts, uncles, second cousins... distant cousins? And then some of us brought our friends, like you. Hey, Winnie! Eva!" Alice waved at a few of her cousins coming our way; I knew for sure they were related because they had the same, pointed features and dark hair colour.

Two hours later I found myself sitting in the Brandons' gazebo with Alice and several of her cousins and some of the friends they'd brought along. They were a cheerful, friendly bunch and despite my usual aversion to parties and large groups of people, I was enjoying myself.

"Hey - it's David!" the cousin named Eva exclaimed, waving at a boy who was walking over to us. All the other Brandons immediately chorused in welcoming another of their family.

"Hey, everyone, sorry I'm late. This is my friend, by the way," David elbowed the boy beside him, who seemed a little apprehensive but still waved. "His name's Riley."

There was a bit of a shuffle amongst the females on the table, and I knew that they were all admiring Riley's good looks. He was tall and muscular, though not as much as Emmett, with blond hair and hazel eyes.

"Hi," he said a little sheepishly, looking around at us. And then his eyes fell on me and he froze. I blinked uncertainly.

"Isabella Swan," he muttered, but loudly enough for everyone to hear. I blinked again, bewildered.

David glanced between us, "Uhh... you know her, Riley?"

Riley seemed to come to himself; tearing his eyes away from me, he answered, "Oh - yeah. She goes to my school."

"You go to _St. Meyer_?" Alice and I chorused together. Riley looked at her instead and recognition dawned on his face, "Yeah, I do, but I'm the year below you guys. You're - you're Isabella's friend, aren't you? I've seen you two together."

Alice and I stared at each other, shocked and bemused, as Riley and David sat down at our table. Riley had resumed his gaze on me and I was disarmed to see warm admiration and almost appraisal radiating out of his expression.

"So how do you know Bella so well, Riley? It's like she's almost famous," Eva asked with a smile.

"Well, she is," Riley said contritely, and I almost choked. _What?_ "I doubt there's anyone at St. Meyer who doesn't know her name. You see, there was this group of boys who used to rule the school..." And without further ado, all vestiges of bashfulness melting away, he launched into a lengthy explanation about my eventful and disastrous year at St. Meyer. The others were all engaged in the story. I kept interrupting, highly embarrassed at the heroic qualities Riley imbued into my character that surely didn't exist. Alice was obviously trying her best to keep a straight face.

I felt rather wrong-footed and odd, hearing my life in story form in a praiseworthy tone. It was very strange to find out that there was someone at St. Meyer who thought of me in this way, as some sort of _hero._

"Looks like you have a fan, Bellabee," Alice said mirthfully hours later. Most of the guests had gone home and we were cleaning up the garden.

I glared at her, groaning, "Please don't make me feel any worse, Alice. That was extreme torture."

"I know," she laughed, sweeping several plastic plates into a garbage bag, "I didn't think your face could go any more red. But aww, you _had_ to feel for dear Riley. I thought love hearts were going to pop out of his eyes whenever he looked at you."

I groaned again, my face growing hot, and turned my back on her as she laughed harder.

"But seriously," Alice continued, coming to help me remove the lights, "It was unexpected, seeing someone else at the school so _normal_, unlike all the other people there. Refreshing, isn't it?"

I thought about that for a moment and had to conclude that she was right.

"I wonder if we'll see him at school."

* * *

Studying was getting more and more intense as my own graduation hovered in the horizon, becoming more visible as the days continued. I was dreading the end of my high school life, because I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I did love playing the violin, but I didn't see myself doing it forever as a career. It was more of a hobby.

I sighed as I sat by myself in the school library, surrounded by a dozen leaflets the careers advisor had handed me. I picked them up one-by-one and gave them a second's consideration.

_Medicine?_

I wrinkled my nose. I fainted at the first sight of blood, so that was ruled out.

_Law?_

Too hard. Much too hard.

_Psychology?_

_As if you're not confused and strange enough yourself, let alone help others sort through their mental processes, _the wry voice inside my head told me. I sighed again, settling back in my seat and staring blankly at the bookshelves in front of me. It was Monday afternoon and I had a free period. My brain was sleepy and dull, but I had a lot of maths homework to do, and I was just considering pulling my textbook out of my bag when a boy stumbled out from the shelves, dropping several heavy books onto my table by accident.

"I'm sorry," he gasped, keeping his head down as he scrambled to pick them back up again.

"Oh, it's fine," I said kindly after getting over my initial shock. I helped him pick up a few books and handed them back to him. He looked up at me briefly and then ceased all action at once.

"Bella."

Puzzled, I looked at him as well. It took me several seconds to process who he was, beneath the thick black glasses and the untidy blonde hair that hid most of his face. Then my eyes widened, my heart thudding as I gasped, "_Riley_?"

He beamed, and there was no mistaking that admiring spark. I had to admit that my own mouth twitched in response; he was like a very loyal and adoring golden retriever.

Since it wasn't ideal to talk in the silent library, we went outside to the courtyard. I took my leaflets with me and absently shuffled them in my hands as we chatted. He was a nice boy and it wasn't difficult to like him. I thought I'd feel very awkward around him since Saturday, but Riley was so eager and straightforward that it didn't really matter after all.

"I almost didn't recognise you," I said, gesturing at his glasses and his hairstyle.

Riley chuckled, setting a paper boat he had folded afloat on the fountain. "I like to keep a low profile at school," he said with a significant look, and I hid a smile. So he knew he was good looking. Not so naive, after all.

"To be frank, I really don't like this school and the people here nauseate me at the best of times." The sudden hardness of his voice took me by surprise and I glanced at him, but he was staring at his paper boat.

"I've already survived almost two years here and I plan to graduate quietly. You understand, don't you, Bella?" He looked up at me with a grin and I smiled back, understanding full well.

_As long as I kept my head down and stayed quiet, I would survive the next two years at St. Meyer._

"That was my plan too," I said with a little laugh, thinking back to the beginning of my time at St. Meyer, "But alas, it didn't come to fruition. Even so, it's okay, things turned out for the better and I learnt a lot of things that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. And surprisingly, I made a few good friends here." I was even surprised at myself by how much I was saying with someone I barely knew. Perhaps Riley was just easy to talk to like that.

He was regarding me carefully. It was a change from his admiring gaze.

"Your friend Alice seems nice," he commented slowly, "Do I take it that you're still in contact with F4?"

My heart sank slightly, but I ignored it with bravado. "Most of them," I said, keeping my voice casual.

A crease appeared between his eyebrows. "Even after everything they did to you?" he said sceptically.

I chuckled. "What, having second thoughts about my supposed heroic qualities?" I teased, "There is more to those guys than you think. Believe me."

Riley didn't seem convinced and once again I marvelled at how he was one person in St. Meyer who didn't worship F4. My heart sank again as their title whipped across my mind. Even when they no longer attended the school they still intruded my life. A small smile surfaced to my face.

The bell rang then and I stood up, stuffing the career leaflets into my bag.

"What are those for?" asked Riley, watching me.

"Oh, just trying to figure out my future," I said with a stab of jauntiness, then I dropped the tone and muttered, "It's so hard."

He smiled sympathetically, seemingly steeling himself to say something. Then he blurted out, "Want to come somewhere with me now? Maybe you'll figure out your future there."

I raised my eyebrows, "Where?"

"Somewhere I work," Riley replied, and excitement lit up his eyes, "Come on, it'll be fun."

I hesitated; there was a pile of maths homework still waiting in my bag, but I was also conscious of the feelings and thoughts that had been awakened due to talking too much about F4. I didn't want to go home where I would be forced to dwell on them. I wanted to distract myself.

Which is probably why I nodded and said, "Alright."

Riley kept up a running monologue as he led the way and I listened, happy to let my brain absorb his chatter to prevent it from sinking into a stupor. Somewhere in the back of my mind though, I knew this couldn't go on. Shutting my mind off and pretending that it wasn't there, it was the same as a toddler closing their eyes during hide-and-seek.

The building that Riley worked at looked like a studio. It had a very professional and artsy feel to it. Shiny wooden floorboards joined porcelain white walls. Green plants and small trees tastefully decorated the place, which was bustling with people all wearing lanyards. Some clutched clipboards while talking into a headpiece; others bore large cameras; still others were wheeling racks of clothing. However, everyone seemed to know Riley. They all waved and said hello to him as he walked in, and I followed sheepishly, feeling out of place.

"Riley!" a tall, blonde lady came striding over, giving him a brief hug, "You're early today. Ready to start this afternoon's shoot?"

"Sure thing, Rose."

"Good, go and get changed, your clothes are already in your room." The lady named Rose walked away and I turned to look at Riley in enquiry. He was looking back at me, clearly enjoying this.

"What - what is it exactly that you do?" I asked tentatively.

"I model," he replied. There was a roguish glint in his eyes as he assessed my gobsmacked countenance. "Hey, Pete," he called, catching a passing young man by the arm, "This is my friend Bella. Can you get her a drink while she waits for me?"

"Sure, Riley."

_Model?_ I thought weakly, _Wow. _I quickly thanked Pete as he passed me a can of soda. _He's a model? Unbelievable. _I started dawdling down the hallway, looking at some of the photographs and pictures hung up on the walls. I had taken a sip of my drink when a particular picture made me choke.

It was a photo of those two siblings again, the mystery models Alice had told me about on Saturday. The elder sister had red hair and a brilliant smile. The brother was blonde with hazel eyes, his smile mysterious and more guarded than his sister's.

But that wasn't why I choked and gaped at the picture for several seconds. Looking closely now, I realised that the brother was Riley.

My nose was practically scraping the photo, just to make sure I wasn't mistaken.

"No way..." I said under my breath. _I know who one of the mystery models is. _I had an itching desire to whip out my phone and message Alice.

Fifteen minutes later Riley returned and the transformation was incredible. His glasses, untidy hair and school uniform had made him seem boyish and awkward, but with designer clothes, his hair styled and the glasses removed, he had the unmistakeable air and image of a model.

He caught my eye and grinned, "Hi, Bella."

I could only manage a feeble smile in return. I had some sort of weird fate meeting people of star calibre. Possibly to make up for the lack of my own.

For the next half an hour I hovered on the edges, watching exactly how a photo shoot is conducted. I had to admit, it was really interesting to witness everything that went on behind the scenes. Still, I wondered why Riley had brought me here. Surely he didn't think I would consider a career like _this_. Modelling was definitely in the bottom five of my prospective jobs. The idea was ludicrous.

"So how is it? Fun?" he asked me when he'd finished.

I smiled and nodded, "It's really interesting. Hey, I have a bone to pick with you - I didn't you know you were one of the mystery models!"

"Oh," Riley seemed a little embarrassed, "You've heard about that, huh? My sister's name is Victoria. We thought it would be a really small thing, but the whole mystery is making us really famous - apart from the fact that no one knows who we are. You'll keep it a secret for me, won't you?" he added anxiously, and I laughed and said I would.

"Would you consider this?" Riley asked as he took a sip of his Coke. He gestured at the scene before us, with the props and cameras and the set.

"Modelling?" I pulled a face, "Are you joking?"

"No, not modelling. Photography."

Oh, right.

"Oh, right," I said aloud, amused at my own dimwittedness. Of _course_ not modelling. "I've never thought about it. I've never tried it. To be honest, I'd probably drop and break the camera. A few times."

Riley chuckled, "Well, it's never too late to try."

At that moment, the lady named Rose walked over to us. "Hey, Riley. Who's your friend?" she asked, smiling at me.

"Her name's Bella. She goes to my school."

"Nice to meet you, Bella," said Rose, taking my hand and shaking it. She cocked her head to the side, surveying me appraisingly, "Oh, you have an interesting face. Would you like to take some photos with Riley?"

Taken-aback, I uttered, "Umm..."

"Yeah, come on Bella," Riley said eagerly, "You've just been sitting here for half an hour. It'll be fun."

"Just a few photos, Bella," Rose said with a dazzling smile, "There are some clothes that will fit you in the back room over there, just change into them and the girls will tend to your hair and make-up." She had already taken my arm and led me there before I could protest.

"Just a few photos" ended up being around thirty shots. It was awkward to be posing and re-enacting the various emotions the photographers wished to evoke, but after awhile I got used to it. And hopefully I got a bit better at it. At least Riley was having a good time; every time I looked at him he was grinning.

It was pretty late by the time I got home, but I'd achieved my purpose. After dinner, I was so exhausted from the day that I fell straight asleep without worrying or fretting about anything else. Busy and distracted was how I liked it these days.

The next two weeks passed by in the same, routined fashion. In between studying, classes, family mealtimes and part time work at a day care, I continued to worry over life beyond graduation and keeping my feelings at bay. Alice was mulling over her future as well.

Surprisingly, I was getting along with Riley well, and he became another familiar face in my life over the fortnight. He was a comfortable person to talk to, like Jacob Black in many ways. At first, I wondered how he could possibly keep his identity a secret, particularly with the ever-increasing buzz about him and his sister. However, over time it became evident that Riley really did maintain a low profile at school. He didn't talk to anyone and didn't draw attention to himself in classes. He was even hesitant to talk too much to Alice.

"But I like you, Bella, because you're different from all those other people, and so you're an exception," he told me in a straightforward manner. I chuckled it off, feeling a little uncomfortable as I always did when he made these bold statements.

All in all, life was pretty humdrum. Then one morning on my way to school, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I said, picking up.

"Bella!" boomed a voice energetically on the other end, "Bella, Bella, Bella, you're looking great these days!"

I halted in my steps, my brain working frantically to pinpoint the owner of that familiar voice. "_Emmett_?" I said incredulously.

"Hi, Bella. Long time no talk, eh? But we'll fix that soon, won't we?" Emmett said good-naturedly, and a grin bloomed across my face. I had missed talking to Emmett. "Anyway, just wanted to congratulate you on your big debut. Jasper says congratulations as well."

Now I was confused. Debut?

"What are you talking about, Emmett?" I said, half-laughing.

"How come you never told us, eh, Bella? Anyway, we'll see you soon. _Very _soon."

He hung up before I could reply, leaving me staring, befuddled, at my phone. _What was that all about?_ Shrugging, I continued on my way to St. Meyer School.

As the day went on, I began noticing the avid stares and whispers my classmates were giving me. I glanced around my shoulder a few times to catch them in the act, but they quickly turned away to hide it. I grimaced. I was no fool to this, it had happened one-too-many-times in my first year at St. Meyer. But still... it unnerved me. What was the problem this time?

It was a relief when my free period arrived. A little paranoid about being anywhere near my peers, I started making my way to the stadium. However I had only reached halfway when there was a yell behind me.

"Bella!" I turned around to see Riley jogging after me with his usual beam. His blonde hair flopped untidily over his eyes, which were also obscured by a pair of thick glasses.

"Oh, hey," I greeted, glad for a familiar face.

"I saw you walking and thought you wouldn't have seen this yet," Riley said excitedly, "Here, look, it just came out this morning." To my confusion, he brandished a glossy magazine at me. I took it in my hands, not sure what I was expecting and yet definitely not ready to behold what I did see.

There, on the front cover, was a picture of Riley, charismatic and mysterious as usual as he modelled some clothes. Posing beside him was me, the photographer having captured a half-smile on my face that made me appear much more alluring than I was capable of.

My mouth fell open and panic froze my insides as I processed this image.

"What - what - what is this doing here?" I spluttered, "I thought you said those pictures were just for fun - "

"Yeah," said Riley enthusiastically, not noticing my horror, "But they must have liked it and chosen to publish it. It turned out really well."

A silent screaming was going on inside my head the longer I gaped at the front cover. So _this_ was what Emmett had been talking about this morning, and _this_ was why everyone was acting up at school. I whimpered almost inaudibly, scrunching the magazine in my hands.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, this is bad," I moaned, "What if my parents see this? What if my sister sees it?"

Riley frowned, assessing my reaction.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he said quietly, a trace of regret in his voice, "I didn't realise you wouldn't like it. I should have checked and made sure that they didn't publish the pictures with you in it."

I looked at him, sudden guilt welling up inside of me at the sight of his dejected countenance. "Oh - no - Riley, it's not your fault," I hastily said, "Honestly, most girls probably would like this, but you know me, I'm - " I jumped a little when my phone rang and I fumbled with it. There was a new message in my inbox from Jacob.

_If you go the F4 games room now, you'll find a pleasant surprise._

_PS. This is not a riddle. Please come now._

_A pleasant surprise?_ I thought curiously. I turned back to Riley who was watching me expectantly. "Sorry, Riley, I need to go somewhere now - but I'll see you tomorrow, right? Sorry!" Without really giving him a chance to ask any questions, I hurried off. I had a brief glimpse of the remorseful look on his face, but I paid no heed o it. For the first time in a long while, I felt the tingles of excitement as I rushed to the games room.

The 'pleasant surprise' turned out to be the presence of Emmett, Jasper and Jacob in their old school games room. I hadn't realised how much I missed them until I felt my heart leap and a grin jump to my face when I saw the three of them. Jacob I'd been seeing regularly enough, but Emmett and Jasper had somehow matured in their appearance over the months. They were looking less and less like boys and more like men.

We spent a good hour chatting, catching up with one another and drinking Jasper's brew of tea. They had many questions and teasing remarks about my debut as a model, which I tried my best to explain away. Of course, they didn't let it slide.

"Bella must really miss us to go to extreme lengths like this," Emmett said with dignity, holding up the offending magazine. Going red, I tried to grab at it but he pulled it out of my reach. The other two were laughing.

"_Emmett_!" I protested.

It was a wonderful afternoon, one where I was truly laughing and smiling. I hadn't felt so free and spirited in weeks.

Unfortunately, it was one of the last few times I could be happy.

* * *

The next morning, something happened that hadn't occurred for over a year. Something that could only be talked of as a legend of the past returned, suddenly and menacingly. I never thought I'd see it again.

When I opened my locker, I stopped short and stared.

The red card leered back at me.

For awhile, I could hear nothing but the pounding of my heart. My blood ran cold at the sight of the worst omen at St. Meyer. Disbelief boggled my mind. And then a voice screamed from somewhere behind me, over the outbreak of gasps and muttering.

"IT'S BACK - THE RED CARD RETURNS! ISABELLA SWAN HAS RECEIVED THE RED CARD _AGAIN_!"

With that simple declaration, the nightmare began again.

* * *

"_What_ are you guys playing at? Do you think it's funny?" Alice Brandon was beyond furious as she raged at the three boys sitting with us. Emmett looked shocked. Jasper was frowning. Jacob was quite empty of expression, though I could tell by his eyes that he was thinking hard.

I sat quietly. I didn't know where to begin with how I felt, but there was a lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow away.

The last two days had brought back all the horrible memories of my first encounter with the red card. I'd forgotten how terrible it was to be the sole target of the entire school, but fate was cruelly reminding me of the fear, the insecurity and the complete worthlessness you sink into. Objects hurt when they were thrown at you. Paying attention in class was difficult when your desks, books and pens went missing.

After awhile, your own spirit breaks. That was the terrifying power of the red card.

"You should know," spoke Jasper in his quiet voice, thankfully breaking me out of my stupor, "That the red card was always Edward's toy."

Alice frowned severely, "So you're saying _Edward_ gave it to Bella? Why would he, and _how_ could he? He's not even in the country!"

I trembled convulsively at the mention of his name, but I clenched my hands into tight fists. I was _not_ going to cry. I was not going to.

"I don't know," Jasper said honestly, "I don't know what's going on. We haven't been able to contact Edward lately so we don't know what's happening with him. But we have nothing to do with this second red card that Bella received." He looked sympathetically and apologetically at me.

"According to the guy who stuck the red card in Bella's locker, Edward called him personally and told him to do it," Emmett explained, still frowning, "But why he would do it is beyond me. I thought he'd grown up from it. And not to mention it's _Bella..._" He trailed off, also looking at me. I tried my best not to meet their eyes, knowing that would only make me feel worse.

"Did you guys have a fight?"

I took a deep, steadying breath and put on a wan smile.

"Actually, it's been awhile since I spoke to him. A couple of months, actually." It was amazing, how much the tears threatened to spill as I admitted those words. I was prepared for the surprised looks on their faces and their questions of why, but I didn't have a real answer for them. I didn't have an answer for myself.

"What is up with that guy..." Emmett muttered, exasperated, "He's being really elusive these days. And now this red card business..."

"You should go and ask him, Bella," Jacob said suddenly. We all looked at him. He leaned forward on his chair, his dark eyes regarding me seriously. "Go and ask Edward yourself. That's the best way to find an answer to all these questions."

I looked back at him warily. Jacob had voiced aloud my own, deep-rooted fear of confronting the problem. I was much more content running away and pretending it wasn't there than I was finding a certain answer and conclusion. At his words, a whole new set of fears and doubts assailed me.

_Go and ask him..._

Alice was watching me carefully. Understanding how I felt because she was wonderful like that, she ushered the guys away. They said their goodbyes to me especially tenderly. I felt Jacob's gaze burn into me before he, too, took his leave.

"Bella..." Alice murmured as soon as they had left. "Bella, Jacob's right. You need to go and ask Edward yourself. You can't just keep ignoring this and letting it drag on. You can't keep on waiting for a guy who's not bothering to call anymore."

Tears shot into my eyes. The words were harsh, but true.

Taking a shuddering breath, I looked at my friend and whispered, "I'm scared."

There were tears in her eyes as well as she took my hand in her tiny, warm one.

"I know you are."

We sat like that for a long time. The decision before me seemed enormous and terrifying. In my mind, I knew they were right and I knew it was the wise thing to do. But my heart refused to let itself be made so vulnerable.

"But," spoke up Alice after awhile, "You're also Isabella Swan, and she's one of the bravest and most determined people I know. And I _know_ she won't just let this go on, not for her own sake but for Edward's as well."

The tears were gone now; there was a quiet and calm resolve inside me instead. I looked at Alice again and she smiled gently at me.

"Go on, Bella," she whispered, "You owe it to the both of you."

For a long time, I gazed at the table without seeing it. And then, swallowing heavily, I nodded. A wide beam split her face and she threw her arms around me.

The next few days passed by in a blur. Things moved very quickly. My plane ticket was booked, my bag was packed, and Mum cooked an extra special dinner for me the night before I left. My family were fully on board for my trip, thinking it was about time I'd gone to see Edward.

Early in the morning, before Dad dropped me off at the airport, I stared uncertainly at my reflection in the mirror.

"I'm going," I whispered determinedly to myself, "I'm going to... Japan. I'm going."

_Because I wanted to see him._

The noise, the voices, the movement, the countless faces of Japan. Everything hit me at once as soon as I stepped off the plane into foreign land. It was all so different and fascinating, it was almost suffocating.

_Because I missed him._

In an alleyway I stood trapped, terror incapacitating me. The men's leers advanced closer and closer, their eyes never leaving me.

_Because I really, really, really missed him..._

My shriek and cries rented the air as I fell to the ground; their hands were reaching down towards me; I brought my hands over my face, trying to shield myself. And then the singularly calm and dangerous voice that stopped it all.

"_Yamete_."

The men left me alone, annoyed jeers escaping their lips as they went towards him. Shaking, I watched as he smiled in a mild manner, betraying no fear even as the six adult men met him, some of them pounding their fists aggressively.

And then just as something ugly was about to happen, he pulled out something from his chest and held it steadily against one of the men's head. They tensed up at once. He continued to smile calmly.

"_Hottoke-ba_," he requested. "_Kudasai,_" he added on as an afterthought. None of the men said anything. They appeared too terrified to move.

And then his expression hardened as he growled, "_Achi ike-yo_."

Muttering, the men scarpered without delay. I began breathing again, having temporarily stopped. My head felt light and my limbs were too wobbly as I tried to push myself off the ground. My saviour walked towards me and bent down, still holding the gun in his hand. My heart rate doubled at the sight of it.

"Ah, Bella," Jacob Black said reprovingly, "Why didn't you tell us you were going to Japan? We could have all gone together. See what happens when you run off on your own?"

I was too shocked to really register what he was saying. My eyes were still transfixed on the gun as I opened and shut my mouth uselessly.

"That... that..."

Jacob lifted it up carelessly, "Oh, this?" And before I could react, he had aimed it at me and pulled the trigger.

The next thing I knew, my face was dripping with water and Jacob was laughing. "Toy guns can look scarily real these days. We're lucky those gangsters fell for it, hey?"

_It's... not real..._ In the time it took for those words to sink in, my eyes filled with tears. The panic and hysteria and terror within me flooded out and I wailed, "Jacob..."

His eyes twinkled, "What's wrong, Bella?"

"I'm - I'm lost - and I dunno my way - and I can't find anyone who speaks English - " I began hiccupping, knowing I was being ridiculous and that I would be really embarrassed about this later on. But for now, I didn't care.

Jacob smiled his familiar sunny smile, placing his hand on my hair and ruffling it gently.

"It's alright, Wonder Girl," he said. "We're here now."

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, it was tougher writing this chapter than I thought it would be. So... what's going on, eh? And aren't we all missing the presence of Edward? Hahaha. Anyway, have a very happy new year! Last update for 2010, it's rather sad. And thank you SO, SO, SO much for your kind reviews - it has been such a joy to be reading the reviews of older readers whom I've missed. :) Your commentaries and encouragement are greatly appreciated. - msq.


	3. Tokyo

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight (the characters), Hana Yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers (their awesome storylines!).

**Boys Over Flowers, Part II**

**Chapter Three ll Tokyo**

**

* * *

**

"What were you thinking, Bella? Did you even have a plan, or were you going to turn up in a foreign country and hope that things would just work out?"

I said nothing as Jasper Whitlock lectured me, more irate than I'd ever seen him. I lowered my head repentantly as Emmett chided, "C'mon Jasper, don't grill Bella anymore. I think she gets what she did was reckless, but how can you blame her?" He came over and tapped me gently on the head, "Next time she won't be such a daredevil, will she?"

"No," I agreed meekly.

I was sitting in an elaborately furnished hotel suite, a room that I could have only afforded to stay in in my wildest dreams. But, of course, thanks to the supreme wealth and influence of F4, the rest of my stay in Japan would be comfortable and hassle-free. I didn't like the idea of that much. I didn't like relying on other people, especially since these guys were always the ones pulling me out of strife. I felt so indebted to them that this lifetime wouldn't be enough to make up for it.

I had tried persuading them to let me pay for a (much) cheaper room in a hotel a few streets away, but I may as well have tried talking to a door knob for all the response I got.

"Don't worry about things like this, Bella - if you really want, you can pay us back when we get back to America. You can be my personal slave for a few months. Yeah, I didn't think you'd like that. So good game, Isabella Swan."

"The Meyer Group headquarters in Tokyo isn't too far away from this hotel," Jasper was saying now, clicking some buttons on his laptop. "Edward still hasn't returned our call, but he'll know we're here by tomorrow."

My stomach performed a sudden flip flop and I felt sick. In the midst of all this turmoil, of being almost kidnapped and the shock of seeing Jacob Black in the streets of Tokyo with a (fake) gun, I'd almost forgotten the reason why I was here at all.

But everything came flooding back now; the nerves, the anticipation, the dread. It felt doubly worse.

"I'm starving, where's our food?" Emmett wanted to know, stretching and yawning.

"Oh - I'll get it," I said hastily. I felt like a walk, as well as time by myself. Perhaps to prove to myself that I _could_ do something on my own. They were surprised and tried to dissuade me, but I insisted.

"No, it's okay, I want to walk. And I'll be _fine_ on my own, so you don't need to come with me," I said emphatically, forestalling Jacob as he got ready to stand up. I put on a winning smile, "My Japanese is rudimentary enough to bypass the restaurant test."

"Well, if you insist," Emmett shrugged, "Call us if they start yelling at you, though."

Rolling my eyes, I left the hotel and journeyed a few floors below to the underground shopping plaza. The shopfronts were all dazzling with displays of the latest trends and electronics. This had to be the wealthier face of Japan I was experiencing; I guess I could expect nothing less when accompanied by F4.

Entranced by a display of crystals, I rounded the corner, had a fleeting glimpse of a girl skipping towards me, and then the collision happened.

"_Iya_!"

The numerous packages the girl had been carrying in her arms tumbled out onto the floor around us. "_Su - sumimasen_," I gasped, still coming over my shock. She'd already bent down to pick up her things; they looked like packets of some sort of biscuit or cake. I knelt down as well to help her, half-wondering why she was carrying so much of the same thing.

"_Iie, iie,_" she said good-naturedly, albeit a bit muffledly since she had a piece of the same cake (waffle?) in her mouth. Once she had gathered all of them again, she stood up and smiled at me. She was a very pretty girl, around my age. Her black hair was swept up in a trendy, messy bun and her almond-shaped eyes were filled with good humour and spirit.

Then, as she looked at me, her eyebrows contracted in surprise. Swallowing the waffle in a gulp, she cried, "_Ah, nihonjin ja nai!_" I looked at her, my mind already frantically working to pierce together a coherent reply in her language, but just as I was trying to remember how to say I came from America she spoke again.

"You speak English, right?"

It took me a few moments to realise that this was, indeed, in English.

"Oh - oh!" I exclaimed, taken-aback, "Yes, yes I do. You do too?"

She nodded blithely, "Yup. Wow, it's really cool to see foreigners here! I can't help but get excited every time. Where are you from? You _are_ a foreigner, right?" she added, suddenly anxious, "I hope I didn't offend you by assuming you're not, but you know, the skin and the hair..." She gestured at me with uncanny innocence. There wasn't a trace of an accent in her voice; she spoke English perfectly fluently.

"Oh, yes - no - I'm from America," I answered.

"America!" she said in delight, "That's where the other half of _chi chi'_s company is based. My father," she added at my confused expression. "So is this your first time in Japan?" I nodded and she continued, "Why are you here? For fun? Visiting someone?"

I hesitated for a moment. "Yes, I suppose so. I came here to see someone," I chuckled weakly as the crushing dread returned to me.

The girl looked at me carefully, then smiled. "Well, I hope it all goes well with you," she said earnestly. As she spoke, one of the packets fell out of her arms again and I grabbed at it.

"Ugh, they keep spilling out," she tutted, "You can have it. It's really yummy, it's my favourite thing to have in Japan. The _best_ place to get them is a little shop here in this plaza, but it's _closed_ tonight." She pouted, "So I just had to buy about twenty from the grocery shop."

I examined the packet, "Oh, thank you. But what is it exactly?"

"We call it _taiyaki_ - it's a fish-shaped waffle with red bean inside, it's _so good_. Try it!" She beamed at me and I returned the smile gratefully, nodding and wondering if she really was going to all the waffles in her arms.

"Well, I won't keep you then. It was nice talking to you!" Waving happily, she went on her way and I looked after her, rather bemused. Well, there goes a friendly, English-speaking stranger in Japan. Why couldn't I have run into her earlier?

I was clutching her _taiyaki_ packet on my way to the restaurant the boys had ordered our dinner from, taking much longer than required because I was examining all the shops and businesses that I passed. Everything was ten times more fascinating in a different country.

It was at a particularly classy bar that I saw him.

The bar caught my eye because it was all in a sleek, black colour; the counters, the stools, even the floorboards. Lights from overheard were reflected off the various glasses hanging upside down from their racks, infusing the area with a golden glow. The patrons were all dressed exceedingly well and were talking and laughing quietly over their drinks.

Intrigued, I took a few steps forward - but then an all-too familiar head of bronze hair made me stop in my tracks.

It had been so long since I'd see him that it took me several seconds to convince myself that it really was him. There was no mistaking that unique shade of hair and the way it was carelessly styled; no mistaking his smile or laugh, because that was exactly what he was doing. He was accompanied by a beautiful Japanese woman and two other men in suits.

Perhaps the sudden cease in my movement caught his attention, because he looked over. My heart spasmed, unprepared for this sudden meeting. My mind raced frantically. What was I going to say? What was I going to do?

Edward Cullen turned his head, the laughter from the group's joke already fading away from his face. I simply stared, unable to move.

His eyes travelled over towards me. I drew a sharp intake of breath as those emerald pools held mine for a millisecond. Just a millisecond, and yet a tangle of feelings erupted inside me and I was inexplicably reminded of smashing beakers, eggs, violins and fairy lights.

And then he looked away, to join in with the fresh wave of laughter from his table.

I stood there, suddenly feeling very small and empty. I couldn't bring myself to move. He didn't look again. Within thirty seconds he had stood up and walked away to order more drinks, the woman latched on his arm.

I let out a breath. It had been a brief look, as if someone had called his name and he'd looked around involuntarily. His gaze had merely slid over me without the slightest hint of recognition or interest.

Suddenly finding the strength to move, I hurried away from the bar to the restaurant I was meant to be at. I was in a dream-like state, hardly remembering picking up the food and going back upstairs to the hotel room. The guys were too hungry to notice anything wrong with me, although they were curious about the fish waffle I was still holding.

Spurned on by our overseas trip, we stayed up late. I didn't remember much of the card games we played or the horror movie we watched, nor did I taste much of the snack food we kept indulging in in the early hours of the morning.

I climbed into the neat, comfortable bed at last, my mind and body exhausted, and yet I knew it would take a long time for me to fall asleep.

_He probably didn't see me,_ I reasoned with myself as I lay there in the darkness, _After all, he wouldn't expect me to be here in Tokyo. He just looked right over me and... didn't realise I was there._

_But wouldn't he turn back and look again? After all... it's not as if you don't stand out in the crowd here in Japan. You wouldn't be easily missed..._

Groaning, I turned on my side and pulled the silk blanket over my face, wishing there was a way to dispel these troubling thoughts.

I slept very badly; it was as if I wasn't asleep at all, but kept weaving in and out of subconsciousness where my conscious thoughts became half-dreams. At the crack of dawn I finally gave up trying to sleep and sat up on my bed, watching the light outside my window change into a light blue. The image of Edward's green eyes sweeping over me was haunting me.

Sighing, I moved my fists to my tired eyes and rubbed them, as if doing this would remove the image.

I wasn't sure how much longer my body would hold up. I was already jetlagged from the plane trip and the stress of the previous day hadn't helped. And yet my mind refused to let me have a decent sleep. I would need the help of caffeine soon.

_"People really do drink coffee in cramped and steamy places like this."_

A wry smile lifted my lips.

"Yes they do, Edward Cullen," I murmured. The day that we got stuck on the subway together seemed like an age ago, like it had happened in a different life. For some reason, dwelling on these memories didn't hurt. They brought a sense of nostalgia and warmth.

I was a walking paradox; I was filled with a lethargy so complete that I could sit on my bed for an hour without moving, and yet I was possessed by a restless energy that didn't allow my brain to switch off.

Finally, unable to take it any longer, I threw off the blanket and got dressed. I pulled on a pair of jeans, a shirt, and a long cardigan, twisting my brown hair into a bun. I tiptoed out of my room, scribbled a note to the boys (undoubtedly fast asleep and probably wouldn't wake until after I came back), and then left the hotel room.

After what had nearly happened yesterday, it probably wasn't the wisest thing to go wandering around alone. But I was in a much nicer neighbourhood now; there were people around even at this early hour and the space outside the hotel was wide and open.

The hotel we were staying at really was very nice. The huge, grand building stood in the centre, and the streets outside were much cleaner, wider and less crowded. In a sense it reminded me of home, with our town square and its surging fountain.

I walked around with my hands in my pocket, pausing every now and then to look at the little stalls set up. People smiled at me and said good morning; sometimes we tried to converse, with my broken Japanese and their broken English. It was really nice, and my initially negative impression of Japan faded out of the picture as I enjoyed myself as a tourist. I brought along my camera as well and took some photos for my family's sake. My brother and sister had really wanted to come with me.

"Take me, Bella, please, please, please? I'll hide in your bag!" Nessie had pleaded.

Chuckling at the memory, I also remember that I'd promised to bring back lots of souvenirs for them.

I started walking towards a coffee cart, thinking about what I should get for Dad while piecing together my Japanese request for a chai latte. There was already another customer being served, so I stood a few feet behind to wait, musing to myself.

_How do you say 'chai latte' in Japanese? Should I just tweak it and say it with a Japanese accent?_

I looked up instinctively as the customer turned around, having received his coffee. Our eyes met at the same moment, and time seemed to stop.

For the second time in less than twelve hours, he was looking at me again. We gazed at each other for several long seconds that seemed to contain an eternity, a torrent of emotions and memories rushing through me. My heart trembled oddly.

The ten long months apart allowed me to notice changes in his appearance at once. He was even taller, and thinner; the clothes he wore now, though sophisticated before, were more mature and seemed to give him a whole new air of business and command; his hair was longer; and, I noticed with a pang, there was a rigidity and tiredness in his face that hadn't been there before.

All this I registered in about a second, as he gazed at me with several emotions flashing in his eyes. There was the unmasked surprise at first, slowly fading into something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was a soft look, and yet it was hard and unrelenting. There was almost sadness and tenderness there, but mingled with frustration and a sharp edge of anger. There might have been concern, but it might also have been indifference.

Edward Cullen was completely unreadable.

"Bella," he murmured, and the spell around us broke. It had been so long since I'd heard him say my name.

I was aware of my surroundings again. We were standing in the almost empty square in the early hours of the morning. Edward was carrying his coffee; I was still holding my camera. I swallowed, and a smile rose to my lips.

"Hi," I greeted.

A faint frown indented his eyebrows, but the corner of his mouth quirked as he replied.

"Hi."

It almost felt like we could stand like this forever, looking at each other with all our unspoken words passing between us. But I swallowed again and forced myself to speak, "It's - it's been awhile."

He gave a single, curt nod. "It has," he agreed. Then he blinked and seemed to come to himself a little. "I got the guys' message late last night. They said that you were all here in Japan. I'm supposed to meet them later today." His brisk tone took me by surprise, but I just nodded.

"Mmm." I was tongue-tied, unsure of what to say after all this time apart, "Um, so... how have... you... been?"

Edward looked at me. "Busy," he answered evasively.

Something in this conversation wasn't going right. "Oh," was all I said. He didn't ask how I was.

A silence lingered for a few moments in which I racked my brains for something - anything - to say. I couldn't understand what was going on. For so many months, I'd imagined how our reunion would be - and it was nothing like this cold, awkward silence that had manifested itself between us. My heart lurched painfully at the thought and I frowned, trying to repel it.

"Bella," Edward spoke, and I looked up instantly. He wasn't looking at me, but frowning at a point on the ground. "Did you come here to see me?"

My mouth went dry. The honest answer was yes of course, and I would have said so... except something about how our meeting was going made me hesitate. "I... I..." I began nervously, but I was saved from having to form a response by his phone suddenly ringing. He picked it up straight away and I noticed that it was a different model to what he owned before. For some reason, that made my heart sink even further.

"_Moshi moshi_?" he said, turning away to the side. I raised my eyebrows as he began speaking briskly in Japanese, sounding increasingly agitated and curt. I watched him in wonder, thinking, _Wow... Edward Cullen. You really have become a business man. _I was impressed, and a little proud of him... and yet I couldn't help feeling even more distant as I realised something.

Edward had grown up so much during our time apart. From what I saw on the news, he was practically leading Meyer Group these days. And me... I glanced down at myself. I hadn't done anything at all. Instead, I'd clung onto the memory of him and had waited for this day when we met again, in spite all my efforts into pretending that I didn't care anymore.

It was as if a rock had dropped into my stomach as Edward hung up and glanced at me.

"Well, I'll be heading off now," he intoned, putting his phone back into his pocket.

That caught my attention, "What?"

"I have things to take care of," he said flatly, "I told you, I'm a busy person now. Running Meyer Group isn't a walk in the park."

I frowned, starting to feel panicked. He was going already?

"But - "

"Be careful, will you?" Edward said, brushing past me as he walked off, "If the guys are with you then you have nothing to worry about, but walking around alone when you're obviously a foreigner can be dangerous."

He continued to walk away. I stared after him.

Then he paused in mid-step, "Oh, and..." Edward turned around and looked back at me. There was something different about his eyes now as he said, "Have a safe trip back to America."

It was as if ice had chilled my blood. I didn't miss the implication of that request. He wouldn't see me again. Confused, muddled and upset, I called out to him as he turned back around to walk away.

"Wait," my voice sounded scratchy and weak, but the look in his eyes compelled me to speech. "Wait - but - it's been so long since we've seen each other!" I burst out desperately. Surely, _surely _he'd respond normally to this.

Almost as if he was ready for this, Edward turned around with a frown on his face. "And so what about it?" he asked harshly.

I stopped, paralysed by the sudden bout of hurt surging through me, filling every particle of my body. I cast my eyes down onto the ground as he stood there, still waiting for my response. Or was he watching for my reaction?

"Nothing," I whispered.

For a split second, Edward stayed there, still watching me.

"Take care, Bella," he murmured.

I looked up again, surprised by the tone of his voice. But he was already climbing into the taxi that had pulled up by the curb. I watched as it drove away.

* * *

I was sitting by myself in the hotel suite, absently eating a fish-shaped waffle I had bought from the shop that the friendly Japanese girl had recommended. She was right; it really was delicious. Warm, sweet and fluffy. Excellent comfort food.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon. The three boys had woken up separately between the hours of ten and noon and now had left to meet Edward. They'd wanted me to come along, not knowing that I'd already seen him, but I pretended that I was too tired and that I would see him by myself later. I was pretty sure Jacob saw right through my lie, but thankfully he didn't say anything.

Since then, I'd been sitting in the room by myself, unaware of time or space. Sometimes the seconds dragged by; sometimes I glanced up and was surprised that an hour had already passed.

Did I feel numb? I didn't even know. My head hurt, at the very least - but every other part of my body seemed to be disconnected from it. I looked down at the _taiyaki_ and grimaced. _At least my taste buds are still in working order._

It was almost three when F3 returned. The door opened and I knew immediately that something was wrong. Emmett had his pacifying voice on while Jasper sounded short and exasperated. I stood up curiously as the three of them burst into the room, and gasped aloud. There was a bleeding cut on Jasper's lip.

"What happened?" I asked faintly as the blonde grimaced and sat himself on the sofa. I looked questioningly at Jacob and Emmett.

Emmett sighed, his eyes darting towards Jasper, "He and Edward - er - had a disagreement?"

"_What_?" I gaped at Jasper, unable to believe it. He was the calm and collected one - he was always so tranquil and rational - and I'd seen the solid friendship between him and Edward. What could possibly have riled them up to this point?

"Bella, you need to go knock some sense into that idiot," Jasper spoke with an uncharacteristically savage note to his voice, "None of us can do it. Jake, why didn't you say anything? He was acting like a complete - " He called him something that made me wince.

Jacob sighed; he was sitting backwards on a chair, his arms draped over the back. One hand supported his chin.

"Edward is... really tense. I can tell that much. And he's trying to make up for it by acting all distant and cold, to feel like he's in control." I listened in awe; Jacob Black really did understand Edward Cullen.

"But he's always been a bit like that," Emmett pointed out.

"Not to us," Jasper said sourly, wincing as he touched his lip, "It's been almost a whole year, we came all the way here to see him and he acts like he's doing us a huge favour by making time to meet us."

I said nothing as gloom settled over us. It wasn't turning out to be a happy trip at all.

"And... he punched you because...?" I ventured tentatively.

Jasper grimaced again, "It was when I mentioned you." My heart thudded. "I - er - got a little annoyed at his attitude, so I asked why he hadn't bothered trying to talk to you for a few months."

"Yeah, accusations were made, a bit of name-calling ensued - and knowing Edward's short fuse, he predictably threw a punch," Emmett filled in with a reproving look at Jasper, "Seriously, I know Edward was to blame, but as if you didn't see that coming, man. You did go a little too far."

Jasper just shrugged, "I don't like how he's treating Bella. He won't even try to meet her."

"Jazz," Emmett cautioned quietly, throwing a warning look at me. But I put on a wan smile.

"It's okay. I... actually saw him this morning," I admitted, trying to keep my voice steady. They all looked at me immediately, making noises of surprise. "I took a walk before you were all awake and... ran into him."

"And?" prompted Jasper curiously.

"And... he pretty much acted in the same way you described him as," I shrugged.

"That guy," Emmett muttered, shaking his head, "Why didn't he mention he'd already seen you? This is giving me a headache." He sighed and muttered, "What happened to him? Someone doesn't change that much in a year..."

I fell silent as I thought. Months of silence, the red card's second appearance, and the bullying from St. Meyer filled my mind. I saw his cold and indifferent stare and heard him say again, "_Have a safe trip back to America._"

I stood up suddenly. Jacob looked at me uncertainly.

"Bella?"

"I'm... going to go see him one more time," I declared meditatively, "I can't leave it like this. I didn't come to Japan just to get brushed off." The more I thought about, the more fierce Bella seemed to surface. I could feel a fury and injustice kindling inside me. "He's meant to be in class right now, isn't he? I'm going to go hunt him down."

"Wait - Bella, are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Emmett sounded alarmed.

"No, this is a matter between him and I. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll call you guys later."

Before they could call me back, I was already on my way. I had done _some_ research before coming here, and I knew which university Edward was attending and how to get there. I was at my wits end. The numbness before had now been replaced with exasperation, and I gladly welcomed it. Feeling angry gave me a sense of purpose and direction.

I was so determined to find Edward and clear matters up that I wasn't surprised when I spotted him almost straight away on the campus. There weren't too many people around and I saw him emerging out of a classroom, his bronze hair standing out amongst the dark browns of the local students here. He was accompanied by a few others who seemed to find his presence gratifying. I narrowed my eyebrows.

_Popular even in another country. Figures._

Taking a deep breath and rallying up all my nerves, I yelled, "Edward Cullen!"

He turned. I was prepared for the befuddled look that appeared on his face as he beheld me. Grimly, I took several long strides towards him, making a few of his Japanese friends scatter as they regarded me curiously.

"What - what are you doing here?" Edward asked in bewilderment. His mask was not on yet; I had taken him by surprise too much.

"I wanted to talk to you," I said evenly, ignoring the stares of his friends, "Properly."

He looked exasperated and turned his head to the side, opening his mouth. But I forestalled him.

"No excuses, Cullen," I said flatly.

He stared long and hard at me, but I didn't flinch or look away. We were going to get to the bottom of this. Finally, with a curt nod, Edward muttered, "Fine. But we're not doing this here." He turned to his group and muttered something; casting awed looks at me, they went on their way. Edward turned back to me and said, "Follow me."

Without waiting for me, he started walking towards a nearby park. He didn't look back even once, which only aggravated me further. I puffed as I struggled to keep up with him.

"I came all the way here to see you," I muttered, "Can't you be a little more polite?"

Edward stopped in his tracks and spun around to face me. " 'A little more polite'?" he repeated incredulously, then seemed to catch himself. Smoothing his face into a passive expression, he monotoned, "I'm busy, I don't have time for this. What did you want to talk about?"

I studied him intently for a few seconds, and in spite of myself, some of my own fury ebbed away.

"Why are you angry?" I asked.

"I'm not angry." It was like a reflex answer.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!" he burst out, a statement contrary to his tone and scowl, "At what? What would I have to be angry about?" I watched warily as he kicked at a tuft of grass, still not looking at me. The fierce anger that had sprung inside of me, to my dismay, was ebbing away fast. Instead, my own vulnerable feelings were surfacing. A gentle wind blew over us as we stood there.

"If you're not angry..." I said quietly, "Then why did you give me the red card?" My heart was thumping as I stared at the grass.

Edward looked at me now, frowning incomprehensibly, "What?"

"You know, I really thought you'd moved on from that, but I guess I thought wrong," I continued, my steady voice not betraying how I was shaking inside, "Ignoring my calls, not replying to my messages... okay, I get it. But was it really necessary to give me the red card as well?"

"What red card?" Edward asked again, but I wasn't really listening.

"If you have something to say to me, you can say it to my face now instead of trying to avoid me. Acting all cold and busy when I've come to see you... are you really going to be this childish?" I lifted my angry gaze at him. His face changed at my words.

"Childish..." Edward repeated slowly, staring hard at me. "Then what, what did you expect when you saw me? For me to say,'I'm sorry'? Or perhaps, 'I've missed you'?" Whatever I had been expecting, it wasn't that. The frostiness in his voice flicked on the raw.

"It's been a long time, Bella," he murmured, "A lot's happened."

The anger was completely gone. I felt just as empty and small as I had last night.

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered.

Edward looked away, putting his hands in his pockets. "I've just started to wake up to reality, that's all," he replied simply, "And when you come back to reality, you need to erase the stains."

My lip got caught under my teeth as I fought hard to control my trembling, as I struggled to contain the flood of poison that filled me at those harsh, careless words. I looked at him in disbelief, "That's really cruel. What happened to you?"

He glanced at me, raising his eyebrows, "What do you mean? Haven't I always been this kind of person? You should know full well, Bella."

And then the anger returned, full-frontal, so that I clenched my fists tight and blood boiled underneath my skin.

"And is that something to be proud of?" I asked testily.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Edward said in a haughty voice, as if he was deliberately provoking me. I snapped.

"Stop it!" I cried, glowering up at him, at his perfect angel's face full of arrogance and pride. He stared at me. "You don't have to do this. If you don't like me, if you can't stand me anymore, just tell me. It's not like I care anymore, either!" Every ill thought and feeling came pouring out of my mouth. "Did I do anything wrong? Did I do anything to deserve the red card? Please stop bothering me, I can't take it anymore - just leave me alone!"

I breathed deeply, my fists still clenched. Edward's face was quite empty of expression. There was no telling what was going on in his mind, and I didn't know what to expect. Anger? More cold indifference? Maybe even... hurt?

But then he smiled; a small, knowing smirk. I glared suspiciously at him, unnerved, as he walked close to me and took my hand.

"What - ?" I started in annoyance, but Edward merely made me unclench my fists.

"What happened to the 'spoilt little coward' bit?" he asked enigmatically. He released my wrists slowly and a shadow crossed his face. "Red cards, being at the receiving end of your punches..." he said quietly, seriously, "I don't play these games any longer."

Edward Cullen looked at me, his green eyes dark and unfeeling.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Bella."

He walked off, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the park.

* * *

"I guess the punk's really grown up, after all. Even Bella's infamous punch doesn't threaten him anymore."

"Don't talk to me about that!" I groaned, taking several strides ahead of the boys, "I don't want to think about that anymore, it's all over, I've gotten my answers and we can all move on." I sighed huffily and I heard them snicker behind me.

"Aw, cheer up, Bella. We'll treat you to anything you want to eat. Udon? Sushi? Tempura?" Emmett's voice was light and teasing. It was night time and we were walking the streets of Tokyo together, in search for something to eat.

"Don't worry about it," I said scornfully, "You no longer need to take care of me."

"But we've been at it for so long already," Jasper said with a smile, "To be honest, Bella, we're kind of used to your company now. It will feel weird if you're not around."

I couldn't help smiling, though I still accused, "You're just trying to pacify me."

"Perhaps we are," Jasper shrugged, "Is it working?"

I exhaled bleakly, staring up into the ring of sky that belonged to the world of Japan. "I suppose so," I said wearily, and asked no one in particular, "Why am I always so hopeless? No matter what I do, I end up relying on others."

"Come on, Bella, you know that's not true," Jacob said bracingly. He came up beside me and patted me on the head.

I stared dully up at him, "Am I your dog?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking..." he began thoughtfully.

I glared at him and he chuckled, "See, there we go. That's the Bella we all know and love. Tell you what, why don't _you_ treat us all tonight? That might make you feel better about yourself."

"Bella's shouting?" Emmett said with sudden interest, "Shotgun sushi train!"

Their cheerful voices made me pause and look back at each of them. They were smiling at me in their individual ways, trying to cheer me up. Emmett's jaunty and playful grin; Jasper's serene, half-smile; and Jacob's little knowing smirk. These three boys of F4... a shoot of warmth burgeoned in my heart as I realised that our friendship perhaps ran deeper than I thought. I knew that the meeting with their friend had upset them, but they weren't showing it for my sake.

"Alright," I said valiantly, "It will be my shout today. Let's go stuff ourselves with the delicious cuisine of Japan."

I spent the remainder of my time in Japan with F3, eating ourselves silly and finding souvenirs for all my family members. We visited various shrines and temples, took in excess of two hundred photos, and spent several hours in an amusement park. It was a fun and delightful weekend, crammed with new experiences and a severe lack of sleep. Even the guys, who had obviously been here several times before, enjoyed themselves a lot.

And yet even though I was having so much fun and laughing a lot, there was an uncomfortable lodging in my chest that kept niggling at me. I ignored it most of the time, telling myself it would eventually go away. I wasn't going to allow myself to dwell on it.

Our flight back home was scheduled on Sunday night. A blight descended upon me as we boarded the plane and I sat down in my seat, looking out the window. Jacob was sitting beside me.

"Are you okay, Bella?" he asked quietly.

I nodded without saying anything.

_You got what you wanted_, my inner voice said,_ Like you told the boys_, _you got your answer, you received your closure. You can really move on now. It's a good thing. You accomplished everything you came here for._

There was fog on my window; I absently traced my finger over it as the plane took off. I craned my head, watching the colourful lights and sprawling metropolis of Tokyo grow smaller and smaller beneath us.

"Goodbye," I whispered.

* * *

Sitting high up in her spacious and elegant office was a woman of rigidity and perfection. Her short auburn hair fell sleekly around her pointed face as she worked at her desk, the large window behind her providing a spectacular view of the Tokyo city nightlife.

She was nodding as she wrote and listened to her advisor's updates. When he had finished, President Cullen looked up at him.

"And how about Isabella Swan?" she enquired, and one could tell her from the piercing intensity of her gaze that this was a significant matter to her.

Alec inclined his head, "Miss Swan returned back to America with the other members of F4 earlier this evening."

President Cullen gave a wry smile, "I see. And Edward?"

There was a moment's pause before Alec replied, as politely as ever.

"The young master ignored her."

The president's smile widened until she actually chuckled, standing to her feet and looking out the window with an air of accomplishment. "So he's finally waking up to reality," she murmured, as if to herself.

"It's about time."

* * *

A/N: Ahhhhh, the sadness ensues. Why is Edward being such a cold-hearted rock wrapped in a porcupine suit? Hehehe. I know my updates are taking much longer, it's getting a bit harder to write this fic. But as always, I am so encouraged by your feedback. You are all adored! Cookies for all! Thank you for your time. :)- msq.


	4. Unravelling

Disclaimer: I do not own T_wilight_ (the characters), _Hana Yori Dango _or _Boys Over Flowers _(their awesome storylines!).

**Boys Over Flowers, Part II**

**Chapter Four ll Unravelling**

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* * *

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There's nothing like sleeping in your own bed after a long and exhausting trip someplace else. The perfect dent in your pillow, the right weight of your own blanket, the feel of your bedspread underneath you... it's wonderfully comforting.

"Bella, Bella, Bella!"

I opened my eyes groggily, making out the outline of my younger sister as she stood above me. She was already in her school uniform and started tugging on my blankets. "Wake up, Bella, it's time for breakfast," Nessie proclaimed, "Mummy made pancakes and _you_ promised to tell us all about Japan! Daddy said you were too tired to do it last night."

Shielding my eyes against the light, I pried her little hands off my blanket before scooping her in a blind hug. She giggled and tried to wriggle free.

"Come _on_, Bella!"

"Alright, alright, Ness, I'm getting up," I mumbled, but gave her ruddy head a rub for good measure.

Just as Nessie had said, Mum had made pancakes and was just finishing setting up the table when I emerged from the bathroom. I was surprised to see the rest of my family already assembled as I shrugged on my blazer, juggling my school bag in one hand and my bag of souvenirs in the other.

Breakfast was a happy affair with my family eager to hear about everything that had gone down in Japan. I mentioned Edward very little, making it sound like he was too busy to spend much time with me (which was true, I suppose) but that everything was alright. It looked like Mum wanted to question me further, but then I pulled out all their souvenirs which promptly distracted all of them. I wasn't ready to tell my parents about what had really happened.

After tucking Mum's packed lunch into my bag, I headed out of the house and was greeted by a loud honk.

"BELLABEE!" Alice waved gleefully at me and a grin broke across my face. It felt like ages since I'd seen her. We had a happy few minutes in the car while I recounted the beginning of my journey in Japan to her, but all too soon we had reached the school and it was time for class. She made me promise to tell her the rest at lunch, which I agreed to half-heartily. It seemed like I either had to do some major skirting-around-the-subject or tell her the truth, which seemed too enormous of a task at the present moment. The uncomfortable weight in my chest was still there.

In a twisted sort of way, I was thankful for the major distraction that awaited me at school. At first, I was surprised and confused at the graffiti scrawled over my locker. But then I remembered: my red card was still in action.

Concentrating my efforts into ignoring the hard looks, dodging random objects and trying to remain as elusive as possible made me forget about the weight inside me, although at times my thoughts did teeter into wondering if this was going to stop. Was this red card ever going to be revoked? Or would I have to graduate like this, acting and living as a phantom within the walls of my own school? Had a red card ever lasted for so long?

"Didn't... you ask him about it?"

Riley looked wary and cautious as he waited for my answer. We were sitting at my favourite past time haunt, at the empty and deserted stadium. The day I saw it crowded when a game was on would probably scar me for life.

I sighed, wiping egg shells from the ends of my hair. "I did," I said bluntly, then paused and revised, "Well, not really. There were... other things to talk about. I definitely mentioned it. Perhaps there's a time delay occurring across the two countries so the kid hasn't received the order to take away the card yet. Either way, it should be disappearing soon." _Hopefully_.

A small smile lit Riley's face as he watched me pick up my bag and violin case.

"How do you do it, Bella?" he asked.

"Do what?"

"Crack your little dry jokes when the entire school is against you. It's really brave." There it was again, that admiration in his hazel eyes that always made me feel a little nervous and uneasy. It made me feel like I had a lot to live up to.

I chortled, waving my hand, "Really, Riley, it's nothing. It's just my sarcasm and dry wit surfacing as a way to maintain my sanity. You need to tap into it constantly to survive in this temperamental school. You learn from your good old senior here, okay?"

"There you go again, Bella."

"Oh, whatever," I muttered as he laughed, "I need to go home early and get this egg out; I have work later in the afternoon."

"So you really like taking care of children, hey?" Riley asked in an offhand voice as we walked back out of the stadium. I wasn't too perturbed his tone; it was the usual reaction I got when people found out I worked at a day care. Most people my age found caring for children equivalent to swallowing a mouthful of mud.

"Yes."

"You're so weird."

"So I've been told."

"Why, though?"

"Why am I weird?"

"No, why do you like taking care of them?" Riley pressed on, "Don't they just run around, sneeze and drive you crazy? If it were up to me I'd just feed them all sleeping pills."

I spared him a Look before explaining, "They're just... so innocent. And they are a lot of fun, contrary to belief. I guess you just need to have the right kind of patience and personality to find them so. But being able to be a part of their life, even for a brief moment, and teaching them little things like tying their shoe laces... it's just cool."

Nothing was said for a few paces. It looked like something was on his mind and when he spoke, his tone was different. "Hey, Bella. Why don't you consider something in the field of children for your future?"

"What?" Everything was registering slower than usual.

"Your future, the thing you've been fretting about the last few weeks. How about becoming a teacher?"

"A teacher?" I repeated blankly, and paused as the idea settled in my mind. Now that I thought about it, Mum was a teacher. The idea didn't seem too impossible or ridiculous to me. In fact, it was something I could see myself doing... and _enjoying_. I didn't know why it had taken me this long to consider this.

Feeling a smidge happier and more purposeful, I picked up my pace. "Thanks, Riley," I breathed out, "I'll keep that in mind. Although first I must find a way to graduate here without losing my head..."

It may have seemed like I was coping well with my second red card at St. Meyer, but that was only because I was clinging onto it so fiercely to distract me. The red card filled me with several emotions and purposes that deterred my thoughts from other things that were so much more unsettling. I may have consciously wanted the bullying to go away, but subconsciously I was using it to focus my energy on something else. That, combined with all the other things in my life, was enough to maintain my numb front.

And yet the weight and lump remained. It was about the only thing I could still feel.

By Friday the pranks seemed to be dying down a bit. A sense of relief mingled with dismay as I registered this. At the same time, I was a bit disgusted with myself for feeling the dismay. What was I becoming, some sort of junkie?

At lunch time I walked into the cafeteria, averting my eyes to the floor. On the one hand, this meant I avoided the malicious stares of the other students, which was certainly preferable. On the other hand, it meant that it took me much longer to notice my surroundings and hence made me a vulnerable target.

I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary until I reached the centre of the cafeteria and suddenly realised that I should have ran into a few tables and chairs by now. Where had all the furniture gone? Looking up, my heart shot into my throat at the sight that greeted me.

All the tables had been pushed against the walls, clearing a large space within which I was trapped. Because surrounding me were dozens of students, surveying me with the same look of smug excitement.

My brain jammed. Yet another legend was being resurrected again. The Ring of Judgment.

"So are you going to get down on your knees and beg, Swan? That might make this more bearable."

There was a strange ringing in my ears as I stared at the boy who had spoken. I couldn't move a single muscle, and yet I couldn't tell if I was afraid. Was there even anything to be scared of? The old feeling of indignation, of outrage that these students could be so cruel... I could no longer muster it up anymore. It was blank. I felt blank.

Their jeers rose to a fever pitch as a bucket of water was emptied over my head from behind me, drenching me through.

After that, I had a confused impression of sand and hands and yelling. My body met the ground a lot as I stumbled and tripped, being pulled and pushed around the circle. Someone handed me a broom, tauntingly telling me to defend myself and fight back, but I could barely stand upright anymore. I was sure I was aching, but my mind felt disconnected from the rest of my body.

My eyes were streaming with tears that made no sense. I wasn't thinking straight. Somewhere, dimly, I knew this had happened before. How had it ended, that time? I swayed on the spot, clutching onto the broom for support before falling down onto my knees. They laughed.

_Please... stop..._ I had prayed this once before as well.

_Please make it go away._

And something of that memory made me choke up, something tied with that faraway moment brought real tears into my eyes as the uncomfortable lodging in my chest throbbed. For a heartbeat, I could hear or see nothing.

_"What the hell is happening here?"_

Had someone really said that, or was I only imaging it? Had... someone come?

It wasn't just my imagination. It had gone quiet in the cafeteria, the last few taunts and laughter dying away. I registered the sound of footsteps approaching and tremulously raised my head, unable to stop my heart from rising although I knew it was foolish.

There was a student standing in front of all the others, wearing a livid expression. He was tall and blonde, his hair falling untidily over his thick glasses. It was Riley.

And although I knew it was impossible, my heart sank like a stone anyway and disappointment crushed me.

"Who the hell d'you think you are?" sneered one of the boys, reaching out to shove Riley away.

But Riley's hand shot out powerfully, grabbing onto the boy's outstretched one and throwing it away. "And who do you think _you_ all are?" Riley growled, and his carefully controlled voice rang in the silence.

"Ganging up against a single person, hiding and watching from the sidelines - it's beyond pathetic."

"Oi, what did you say, you little - ?"

There was a gasp as there was a scuffle between the two boys, resulting in Riley punching the other boy to free himself. Now it seemed like everyone was too tense and afraid to say anything else. Moreover, Riley's glasses had fallen off during the struggle and he was pushing his hair out of his face -

"Wait - isn't he the mystery model?" a girl suddenly whispered.

"No... way..."

"It's him..."

"He goes to our school?"

Ignoring the outbreak of hissing and whispering, Riley strode over towards me. I gazed up at him, still too weak to stand up. My heart had sunk somewhere to my feet. "No... don't worry about me," I mumbled stupidly, "You don't have to do this, Riley... just go."

His expression hardened. "Come on, Bella," he said shortly, and bent down to wrap his arm around my frame. I allowed myself to be pulled up and walked out of the cafeteria by him. Everyone's eyes followed us in complete silence.

We walked through the courtyard, past the fountain and the music room. I looked up at him feebly, "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you back to my house," Riley replied; his tone was still curt and he wasn't looking at me. "I'm not leaving you at the school and you can't go home like this. Don't worry, I don't live too far away."

I wanted to protest, but I had no energy left. Glancing down at myself, I realised I was covered in sand and that my knee was bleeding. I looked away quickly before a prolonged look made me faint.

In ten minutes, Riley was pulling into the driveway of a modern-looking house. He supported me inside before gently depositing me on a sofa. I winced, finally feeling the aches and bruises.

A redhead walked in at that moment, stopping short when she saw me. "Oh! What happened?" she gasped, her eyes travelling wildly to Riley, "Hey - "

"Never mind that, she's my friend," Riley explained flatly, "Her name is Bella. Bella, this is my sister Victoria. Can you get the first aid kit and fix her knee?"

"Oh - yes - of course," Victoria said hastily, and with no further questions she left the room.

Silence reigned for a few moments and as my senses caught up with my surroundings, I began to feel rather abashed and awkward. I was covered from head to toe with sand and was getting more of it all over their spotless furniture. I glanced at Riley, an apology on my lips, but he beat me to it.

"Are you alright, Bella?" he asked fervently. "What they did to you... it was sick."

I bit my lip and gave a half-shrug.

"It's not the first time."

"Why do you put up with it?" he demanded, looking more annoyed than I'd ever seen him. "You used to fight back with everything you had. These days you just seem to take it as though you deserve it."

For some reason, despite how faraway and distant and shaken I felt, his words struck a nerve and I looked at him sharply. I knew that my gaze was full of ire by the way he flinched just a bit.

"Sometimes it's too hard." I was surprised by how quiet my voice was. "Sometimes, it's just easier to bear it silently. I don't care if it's cowardly or whatever. I... don't want to fight anymore."

Riley gazed at me wordlessly, still frowning. Victoria returned with a first-aid basket and began cleaning my wound before patching it up with a bandaid. She was a warm, amicable person. Her smile and appearance was less dazzling than it was in photographs and on magazine covers, but she seemed all the more attractive in real life because of it.

When she left the room again, I cast my eyes around to say something about a different subject. I looked at the large family portrait hanging over the fireplace. I knew it was an old picture because Riley and Victoria both looked a few years younger. They were standing on either side of a taller, blonde boy who looked like their older brother. Their parents sat in front of them. They were all smiling. A happy family.

Riley saw me looking. I pointed at the picture, starting to say, "Is that - "

"Yeah, that's our Mum and Dad," he said, a touch of affection in his voice. He hesitated and his tone became abrupt. "They died in a car accident a few years ago. Shortly after that photo was taken, actually."

I looked at him, sympathy stirring in my heart, but he simply shrugged to let me know it was okay. "And that's our big brother, James. I've never told you about him, have I?" I shook my head and a small smile lit his face. I could tell that he really looked up to his brother.

"He was always the head of our family, second-in-charge when Dad was still alive. Our parents' death really shook him up, though, and the responsibility of having to care for me and my sister was... a little too much for him," Riley sighed, tearing his eyes away from the portrait. "I think he always felt somewhat responsible for their death. And then something happened at his school which pushed him over the edge. He tried to take his own life after that."

A horrific sort of shock filled me then. Hesitatingly, I asked, "Where... is he now?"

"He lives at the hospital. Doctors say he's a threat to himself and perhaps to others." Riley stopped; when he spoke again, his voice was a little unsteady, "He's... not the same big brother Vic and I used to always follow around. But he's still our brother. That's why we started this whole modelling thing. Our parents left us money, but we still wanted to be able to support him... if anything happens."

I looked at him fervently, feeling ten times older as I listened to his story.

"I'm... really sorry, Riley," I murmured. Then I realised something and I scrunched my face in dismay, "Oh, no... and now everyone knows who you really are! Your mystery model image is completely ruined. This is all my fault."

He was looking at me funnily, a certain softness in his eyes that I'd caught glimpses of before. But now it was very distinct and clear. Unnerved, I tried to find something else to say, but before I could he was talking again.

"No, Bella, it doesn't matter. I don't care about that."

"About what?" It slipped out, in a desperate bid to stop him from saying what I was terrified he was going to say.

"I don't care about being found out," he said seriously, his eyes never leaving mine. I swallowed nervously. "It doesn't matter... as long as you're with me." I looked down as he took my hand gently. Normally, those words would have been extremely corny and laughable. But the deep note of sincerity in his tone had my insides squirming in discomfort instead.

"Bella, why don't you just come away with me? Get away from St. Meyer, from the lowlifes at that school. We have good times together, don't we?" His hand was tightening around mine. I didn't have the heart to pull away yet.

"Yes, we do, Riley, but you _know_ I don't - I don't see you like that," I implored helplessly. Why was everything becoming such a mess? "You're a really good friend, and I've been so grateful for your company, but - "

"But what?" There was a spark of anger in his eyes now, and something about his grip on my hand became rougher. "Is it still because you love Edward Cullen?" he demanded.

I wrenched my hand away, trying to control my shallow breathing and the way the ache was throbbing frantically in my chest. "That's none of your business," I said acidly.

A humourless smirk cross Riley's face. "Don't try to avoid it, Bella. What do you see in that guy, anyway? He's someone who'd destroy you if he couldn't have you. He doesn't see anyone besides his little F4 friends as people, he's someone who doesn't give a damn about other people's happiness or lives!"

Stunned, I beheld the vicious glint in his eyes, the anger and loathing in his voice, and felt like I was seeing Riley properly for the first time. I knew he had never thought very highly of F4, but this was different.

"Don't talk about him like that," I said in a voice of controlled calm, glowering at him, "There are things about Edward Cullen that you wouldn't know."

Riley sneered, "Oh really? I beg to differ. I think I know him a lot better than you do, Bella."

For a full minute we glared at each other, I could feel the blood pounding underneath my skin as indignation like I hadn't felt in a long time flooded me. Yet beneath that, I knew I still doubted. Why was I still defending him? _"He doesn't see anyone besides his little F4 friends as people, he's someone who doesn't give a damn about other people's happiness or lives!" _Hadn't I witnessed that in Japan?

_Don't think about it_, I told myself firmly.

The look on Riley's face softened and he took a step towards me. "Face it, Bella," he said quietly, "You two were never right for each other. You're from completely different worlds. You and I, however... we're like-minded."

For several long seconds, I said nothing. I was confused, my head hurt, and I just wanted to leave. Victoria clattered in again, dishevelled and worried as she clutched onto the phone. Riley looked over at her and the two siblings locked eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked with a frown.

"The hospital called," she murmured, "its James... I think he's fine, they just wanted to check up on something. Still I'm going to go and see him." She turned around and walked out, leaving a horrible, new silence in her wake.

My indignation at Riley faded somewhat as I looked at him. He was just like a helpless little boy now as worry, anger and hurt fought across his face. I took a step forward and said in a would-be consoling voice, "Riley - "

He moved suddenly so that it startled me; whipping back around, he held out his mobile and thrust into my hand. I gasped as his hand clenched around mine painfully, an almost mad expression on his features.

"Call him back," he snarled, "Call him back now!"

"Call who?" I cried, bewildered.

"Edward Cullen, who else?" There was no reason in his tone or his expression; I was starting to feel scared although I instinctively tried my best to hide it.

"What?" I breathed out, mind boggling. I was still struggling to free my hand; Riley wouldn't unclench it.

"Tell that loser to jump on his private jet and get his pathetic self back to America _now_."

"What has Edward Cullen got to do with anything?" I yelled in desperation.

"Everything! This - you - the red card - our brother!"

A second's silence followed the end of his words. We were both breathing heavily; him out of anger, mine was out of fear. Something, like a revelation about to be uncovered, struck me. I looked at him with a frown.

"What?"

"I told you earlier that something happened at his school, didn't I?" Riley spoke in an undertone. Somehow, his calm demeanour now scared me even more. "Something that was the final straw to his delicate mental state, something that pushed him into the condition that he is in now."

A sneer spread across his face as I comprehended what he was saying.

"The red card..." I murmured, and the pit of my stomach felt sick.

"Yes, that's right, Bella," Riley said pitilessly, "James was at St. Meyer years ago, he was older than the F4 guys but in that corrupt school, age doesn't mean a thing. He did something tiny, trivial, insignificant, but it brought Cullen's attention on him. It happened mere months after our parents' death. What the school did to him then broke him."

I gazed unseeingly at the floor, my mind icy blank. Riley continued to speak in a faraway voice, almost as if to himself.

"Since then, I've sworn revenge on Edward Cullen for my brother. And what better way to get him back from Japan than by manipulating his weakness?"

I didn't think I could feel any worse, but I was wrong. Something very cold and poisonous swept through me and I shivered, finally understanding what it had all been about, what our supposed friendship had always been based on. Other things began to make sense. The magazine cover... his reluctance to talk to Alice...

Something shifted inside me. I didn't know the boy standing before me at all. He was a complete stranger.

"Were you behind the red card as well?" I asked in a strangely clear voice.

Another smirk twisted Riley's face.

"I had to gain your trust somehow, didn't I? I had to do something which would catch his attention, have him believe you were in danger and make him come back to save you. I thought it was all over when you unexpectedly jumped on a plane to go to him and then came back alone. But that doesn't matter. Edward Cullen won't be able to resist himself when he thinks you've been kidnapped, even if he doesn't care about you anymore. I know that punk much better than you do, Bella. You're his possession, property, and he'll be furious when he finds out I've got you."

I shook as he spoke, a mixture of panic and anger bubbling inside me. I could barely believe what I was hearing. Did this sort of thing happen in everyday life?

"It's not about you, Bella," Riley continued apathetically, "I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this. I don't think there's enough heart in that guy for him to care about anyone else besides himself. No, it's Cullen's pride that will be the end of him."

My voice was barely a whisper when I spoke.

"He's changed."

His eyes were as hard as stones. "That doesn't erase what he's done."

"Nor does that give you the right to do anything you like!" I burst out angrily, "Do you think doing this makes you a better person? Do you think doing this will bring back your brother?" I had touched a nerve, I knew, when Riley blinked and his grip on me tightened convulsively.

I took a deep breath and asserted, "I'm leaving now. Please let go of me."

There was a sad desperation Riley's eyes.

"I need you to make him come back."

My lower lip trembled, because it cost to speak the truth this time. "He won't come back even if you have me," I whispered "Riley, please... just let it go."

For awhile it seemed like he would never release my wrist. I began to feel it ache underneath his painfully tight grip. But then, gradually, very slowly, his own hand trembling, he relinquished his hold on me. A dull, lost look was on his face. I left at once without looking back, knowing that I was very close to falling apart altogether.

The streets seemed unreal when I staggered outside, trying to move fast but unable to think of which direction to walk in. I didn't care that I was still covered in sand and was attracting strange looks. I barely noticed anything around me. All I could concentrate on was finding my way home, because only then could I allow my mind to dwell on the horrible truth that had just been revealed.

"Bella!"

I spun around clumsily, my vision blurring at the edges so that for a moment I couldn't recognise who was there. Then she hurried closer, holding me by the shoulders as I gasped gratefully, "Esme." I was so glad to see her, I didn't bother questioning what she was doing here. She was a friendly face, someone I could trust, someone who had always supported me, someone who always had a warm smile for me.

"Oh, Bella," Esme Cullen said worriedly, brushing sand off my face, "What's going on with you? Come on, sweetheart."

Losing what little energy I had preserved, I allowed myself to be half-carried to her car.

* * *

It had been a very long time since I'd visited the Cullen mansion. Little had changed about the grand and beautiful house, even though none of the family lived there any longer. Too dazed and weak to protest, I bathed in one of the luxurious bathrooms and emerged to find my uniform already clean and dry. Esme then ushered me into the dining room, where the table was laden with afternoon tea, and I knew there was no way of escaping.

So I told her about everything that had happened with Riley. I didn't think I would be able to go through with it, but to my surprise it made me feel better. My tongue loosened until I had finished explaining everything, and she simply listened without interrupting.

"Poor thing," Esme murmured, tapping me on the head, "Sounds like you went through a stressful ordeal. Well, don't worry about it anymore, Bella. I'll make sure he won't bother you again."

I just nodded, taking a sip of my tea.

"I heard you went to visit my brother in Tokyo." I stiffened up at this mention. Her voice was careful, but kind, "Are you okay?"

Looking up, I made sure to put on a smile, "Yeah."

Esme was regarding me shrewdly. Clasping her elegant hands together, she sighed and said, "Look, I don't know what Edward said to you, but he's feeling pretty confused and muddled at the moment, so try not to take notice of him. I'm sure things will work out."

I remained silent during this dialogue. Staring at a spot on the table, I steeled myself to say something.

"Esme..."

"Hmm?"

"I've... decided to forget about him." My voice sounded as determined as I felt. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Esme stop in the middle of eating a slice and gaze at me in surprise.

"What?" she said.

I smiled meditatively "Actually, it was good to go and clear things up with him. We hadn't spoken for so long that it felt like I was constantly going around in circles, wondering why he wasn't talking to me anymore. Thinking about it all the time was giving me a headache."

I took a deep breath and gave a little nod of affirmation, as if to convince myself.

"So I feel relieved that I went. One of us had to put some closure on it, right? Edward has his own life to live... and so do I. I guess the worlds we live in are just too different." I glanced up at Esme, who had been listening quietly, and felt a pang of remorse.

"I'm... really sorry, Esme," I murmured, biting my lip.

She shook herself out of her reverie, "There's no need to apologise, Bella. So long as you're happy." She smiled sadly, "Oh, that's too bad, I really hoped you could stay with Edward. But you can still see me like an older sister, can't you?" Her eyes flashed warmly at me.

Feeling utterly unworthy of her care, I nodded. I was blessed by extraordinarily kind people.

Esme smiled before setting a huge plate of cakes before me. "Have some more, Bella! You seem thin these days. I'm just going to make call - feel free to get up and explore the house if you feel bored."

I nodded again as Esme stood up and left the room with her phone. Far from feeling accomplished about my little speech, I was left feeling hollow and empty. Yet the wedge was still there, residing in my chest. Swallowing heavily in hopes to dispel it, I stood up as well and began wandering around.

_It's true_, I kept telling myself, _What I told Esme is true. It's true. It's true._

And then I paused in my aimless wandering outside a particular room in the house. It was the room that I'd been taken to after my first Ring of Judgment. In my mind's eye, I could see him bandaging my wounds as I squirmed underneath his touch.

_"One hundred per cent repaid, don't you think? It was nice doing business with you, Fender-Bella."_

The memory made my hands tremble. The lodging in my chest was getting harder to ignore.

_"This is so I can keep in contact with you and check up on you. In case you end up in another crisis... which, with your clumsiness and pride, you probably will."_

I blinked as my eyes pricked, and in that moment I knew I wasn't going to be able to pretend any longer. It was all a facade, something that I'd been trying to fool even myself with. Lying to my parents, to the boys, to Alice, to Esme... to myself.

_"That's what I'm here for, Bella. To pick up the broken pieces of my little fender-bender when she feels like giving up, right?"_

_So I guess I'm only kidding myself when I insist I'm the lion; you truly are the lion._

_Take care, Fender-Bella. I'll take care too._

_I'll miss you._

_Edward Cullen._

I gasped as I finally gave way to the wedge in my chest, as I finally allowed the hurt and anguish that I'd contained in that lump since that terrible talk with Edward have its escape in the rest of my body. The tears came then, heavy and unrelenting. The sobs wracked my body.

_And so... the lion... fell in love with the lamb._

"Bella?"

I felt rather than heard Esme's presence. I didn't realised I had crumpled on the ground until I lifted my head to see her bending down before me. Through my streaming eyes I saw the dire concern in her eyes, taking in my appearance.

And before I knew it, I was telling her what was upon my heart.

"I'm - I'm not okay," I said brokenly, "Esme, I want to at least tell you the truth. I... I... I still love Edward." A lump rose to my throat but I swallowed it, determined to keep going. "I was so happy when I saw him again, but he was - he was so _cold_. And I don't know why he was like that, but I can't get over it, no matter how hard I try. Everything... everything reminds me of him."

There were tears in Esme's eyes as well before she pulled me into a close hug, her hand smoothing my hair.

"I'm really glad you told me that, Bella," she murmured soothingly, "Now please listen to me, sweetheart. Just wait for him. He'll come around eventually. Believe in Edward Cullen, my daft little brother.

My heart quivered.

_"Just be yourself, okay?" _he had murmured once_, "I believe in you. I always will."_

I closed my eyes, feeling the tears roll down my cheeks.

"I miss him," I whispered against her shoulder.

Esme said nothing else as she wrapped her hand around my head, holding me close. That afternoon, I cried out everything that I'd held back since Edward Cullen left for Japan. I learnt to let go, to let the emotions overwhelm me and take control of my sense of rationality and dignity. For so many months I'd been burying them deep inside me, trying to spare myself the pain and hurt.

In the moment, it hurt terribly. But perhaps after this I would be on the road to recovery.

* * *

Over the next week, things died down and it seemed like my life could go back to its unique standard of normality. Esme had called the F3 boys and sorted out my red card business along with Riley, so that on Monday morning there was quiet again. I was free to go to class in peace, free to walk the corridors without fear of being bombed by eggs, but as ever the stares were prevalent. Perhaps I had become a walking legend in St. Meyer.

When the bell rang to signify the end of the day, I was walking down an empty corridor when someone else appeared at the other end, walking towards me. It was Riley, but he wasn't wearing his uniform or his glasses. He was instantly recognisable as the mystery model plastered over so many posters in the department stores. I stopped in my tracks and looked at him testily, but he seemed unconcerned by my presence.

"I just submitted my resignation to the principal," Riley said by way of explanation. Gone was the sad desperation in his eyes. He was speaking haughtily.

I just nodded, "Oh."

He looked at me and seemed resigned. "There's no need to look like that, Bella," he sighed, "You know, I really did like you. If you'd agreed to come away with me, then I would have forgotten about getting revenge on Cullen." When I continued to stare hard at him, Riley shrugged his shoulders and said, "I guess you don't believe me. Well, I can't blame you. Have a nice life, Isabella Swan."

I watched as he swept past me, hands in his pockets. I wasn't quite sure how I felt, but before I could pinpoint it Riley stopped again and looked back at me.

"Since it didn't work out between you and I, and it doesn't seem like you and Cullen are going to get back together, then why don't you try and work things out with Jacob Black?" he asked nonchalantly.

I felt like I had received a severe, mental jolt, pulling me out of my stiff silence. "What?" I spluttered.

Assessing my expression, Riley just shrugged, "You know, the other guy in F4. He seemed pretty pissed off when he warned me not to mess with you again. Don't you reckon he likes you?"

I was speechless and perplexed, and after several seconds of silence Riley continued on his way. I shook my head in bemusement. _That guy... has no idea what he's talking about._

I walked home by myself, glad that I was free to do so without the uncomfortable niggling in my chest. It was gone at last. Rounding into my driveway, I paused at the letter box and pulled out the mail. There was a fancy envelope in the wad and I stared when I saw that it was addressed to me.

Pulling out the intricate cardboard, I read it.

_Isabella Swan,_

_Your presence is requested at Edward Cullen's birthday celebration._

Underneath was the time, date and venue. I read it through several times with an increasing sense of trepidation, wondering what on earth was going on. Was this some sort of joke?

The sound of approaching tyres made me look up and I saw Jacob's Volkswagen pull up in front of my house. He was about to greet me as he normally did when he saw what I was holding and the expression on my face.

"Oh," he said demurely, "You've already seen it."

My heart skipped a beat, sure that this statement did not bode well. I held up the invitation weakly.

"Is this... for real?" I asked.

Jacob looked straight at me, his dark eyes boring into mine. "That's what I came here to tell you," he said, a mild trace of regret in his voice, "He's coming back, Bella. Edward's coming back to America."

* * *

A/N: Hello dearest friends! I'm sorry I haven't been replying to your reviews, but I have been reading them with a huge smile on my face. Ch'yeah. :) Now to answer some questions - what's up with Edward? You'll find out, but yep most of you have cottoned on. :) The red card got explained here. Will there be lip locking? LOL! I don't really write that much, I prefer the less physical intimacy, so I know a few of you got frustrated that Edward only kissed her once in the last story. And since it's based on Asian dramas, the focus is more on their struggle and relationship than their kisses and hugs.

Why isn't Esme the heir? Good question - probably because she's a girl. The dramas never really expand on that.

I think that's it. As a matter of interest, I am actually studying to become a teacher. :) It's the most awesomely fun university course known to man (in my humble opinion.) And HAHA, my friend always says this when we talk about my future career prospect:

_"Don't they just run around, sneeze and drive you crazy? If it were up to me I'd just feed them all sleeping pills."_

Anywho, here ends my rambling. I'm off on another camp in a few days' time, but hopefully this one will involve less browning under the very powerful sun. - msq.


	5. Appear

Disclaimer: I do not own T_wilight_ (the characters), _Hana Yori Dango _or _Boys Over Flowers _(their awesome storylines!).

**Boys Over Flowers, Part II**

**Chapter Five ll Appear**

* * *

_I'm going... I'm not going. I'm going. I'm not going. I'm going... I'm not going..._

I was picking a flower to pieces, ripping a petal one-by-one as though this would resolve the internal battle warring inside of me. To go or not to go - that is the question.

I wrinkled my nose. _Just listen to yourself._

My eyes lingered on the final, remaining petal of the flower, and I reluctantly pulled it off. _I'm going._

Sighing, I threw away the stem and stared glumly at the grass before me. I had been reading one of my old favourite novels in my backyard; it was Saturday afternoon and the sun was warm and comfortable. But it was only a few chapters before I couldn't concentrate anymore and thus resorted to dismantling the various flora surrounding me.

The thought of Edward Cullen's birthday party had consumed me for the past week. I still had no idea what to make of it, much less whether or not I should actually go. Common sense told me that I should steer as far away as I could in the opposite direction and that I had no obligation whatsoever to attend. After all, we'd both recieved our closure, hadn't we? He'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't want to see me again, hadn't he?

And yet, a part of me still wasn't sure. Maybe it was my pride, maybe it was just my stupidity - but I didn't want to run away. Perhaps I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something normal like celebrate his birthday and be alright with it. Maybe that would help me move on.

In either case, I knew I wasn't going for him... was I?

I sighed again. I wasn't an unforgiving person, nor was I the type to hold grudges, no matter how badly I was treated. If I was going to go to Edward Cullen's party, I was going to do so cheerfully. Surprisingly enough, Alice had also been invited - but she vowed that she was only going if I was going. It was exactly the sort of thing she'd do, and yet I wished she'd just make up her mind so I would have an easier time making up my own.

The other three boys of F4 weren't much help, either. Jacob did say that he found it hard to believe that Edward himself had invited me, but apart from that, they couldn't shed much light on the present situation. I knew they were still attending, though; they were always going to be loyal to their friend. The thought made me feel strangely lonely.

"Bella?"

I looked up to find Seth at the back door, calling out to me. "Alice is here," he said.

I furrowed my brow, "Alice?" Getting to my feet, I followed my brother back into the house. I blinked to indeed see Alice standing there with my mum, carrying a large bag and chattering away animatedly.

"Alice?" I ventured in confusion, "What - why are you here?"

Dark eyes clocking in on me, she grinned, "I'm here to make up your mind, of course."

"Bella, Alice says you girls have a party to go to tonight - why didn't you say something?" Mum asked reprovingly, but with a softness in her eyes as she looked at me. I'd finally told my parents where Edward and I were at, without all the unnecessary details. I'd told them that we'd decided to go our separate ways, that we both had our own lives to live. I knew they were disappointed, and I knew they could see I was still hurt and upset about it, but as always they were supportive of whatever decision I made.

"It's Edward's birthday, isn't it?" Mum continued, with an underlying current of gentleness in her voice. "Go on, girls, I'm sure it's a great big affair that requires you to spend hours getting ready for it. I'll have snacks on the ready."

"Hooray!" Alice cheered, grabbing my arm, "Well, we'll be in Bella's room, Renee! Call us if you need us." Mum smiled indulgently as Alice pulled me away. We stumbled into the hallway and I whispered, "Alice - "

"I knew you'd be sitting on the fence all day, so I thought I'd speed up your mental processes. You were going to go in the end, Bella. Am I right?" The black-haired girl looked intently at me as she perched herself on my desk chair.

I exhaled dolefully, "I suppose you're right. The flower also said so."

Alice quirked an eyebrow, "The flower?" She shook her head and said, "Never mind. But... are you sure you're okay with it?"

I looked quickly at her, "What do you mean? Aren't you here to convince me to go?"

Alice shrugged, "Not really. I knew you would go in the end. I knew you wouldn't be able to rest if you hadn't gone - it would be something you'd regret. You want to see how you feel when you see him again, don't you?"

It always felt like an intrusion of privacy when people voiced aloud what I really felt. I prided myself in keeping my thoughts and feelings private so that when others penetrated my mask, I felt horribly exposed and vulnerable.

"It's alright, Bella," Alice murmured when I said nothing for awhile, "It's alright. You're not weak."

I met her smile and returned it.

"I'm... scared of how I'll feel when I see him again," I admitted.

"So you would be. Come on, let's get ready. We'll all be there with you."

Doubts and fears niggled at me as we chose our dresses and shoes, did our hair and make-up. At last we were ready to leave. I took a glance at myself in the mirror as I put some money and my mobile in a cream clutch Alice had thrown at me.

_I'm going..._

"You girls look lovely - let me take a photo of you two," Mum fussed over us when we went downstairs. She took around ten, telling my brother and sister to pose with us and coming to join us for a photo herself in the end.

"Alright, Renee, we'd better get going now," Alice said blithely. She patted Nessie on the head and walked out of the front door. I was slipping on my shoes when Mum pressed a bag into my hand. I looked up at her in surprise.

"You haven't got him a present, have you?" Mum said gently, "Here, take this to him."

I hadn't even thought about a present and was grateful for her quick thinking. "Thanks a lot, Mum," I said with a brave smile.

She looked at me carefully and I knew she could see through my facade. Giving me a quick hug and kiss, she whispered, "Have as good as a time as you can, my beautiful Bella."

I nodded and quickly went out the front door towards the car where Alice was waiting. Looking back, I had a last glimpse of Mum's small smile and wave before we drove off.

* * *

It was Edward Cullen's nineteenth birthday... of course the venue had to be amazing. There were dozens of round tables, all elaborately furnished and placed in front of a large stage. When we first entered the hall, an enormous table covered in a midnight blue tablecloth carried gifts large and small. In humility I placed Mum's bag along with the other presents, all the while hanging onto Alice's arm as though she were my bodyguard.

"I don't recognise anyone here," she said blandly as we walked through the crowd, "This has got to be one of the strangest birthday parties I've been to for someone our age. Practically everyone here is an adult."

"It's probably more a Meyer Group company gathering than a birthday party," I contributed. I remembered only all too well how Edward Cullen didn't celebrate his birthday.

"At least the food will be good. Have you ever thought about how miserable life would be without food?"

I laughed, but stopped abruptly when a figure approached us. My stomach quivered unpleasantly when we came face to face with President Cullen. The last time I had seen her over a year ago, I'd told her off. That explained why I felt distinctly afraid and abashed as she surveyed us with a cool smile.

"Miss Swan. It has been awhile," was her greeting.

I tried to smile, "Madam President."

Her own smile widened, "And how have you been?"

I forced myself to maintain eye contact, although her green eyes felt like they were piercing me with as much dislike as it was possible. "I've been good. Busy," I answered, tightening my grip on Alice's arm.

"That is good to hear," President Cullen inclined her head slightly, although her eyes were as cold as ever. "Well I'm glad you could respond to my invitation to Edward's birthday gathering. I heard you went all the way to Japan to see him. Forgive him, he's too - hm, how should I put it," she gave a little laugh, "_busy_ to play around anymore."

I barely registered this jibe, because her previous statement was what resonated with me.

"Your invitation?" I repeated uncertainly, "You mean to say... _you_ invited me?"

"Yes, I did," President Cullen said placidly, and confusion swirled around me as her eyes found people behind me. "Ah, I see you came along too!"

"Of course," said a familar jovial voice. Emmett winked as he put his arms around Alice and I. "Edward and I go _way_ back, Madam. Don't you remember how you sent the police to find us when we ran away on sixth grade camp?"

"Vividly," President Cullen said, her smile fading.

"Ah, boys will be boys. Don't worry, we've grown up now. Oh, there's Jake and Jazz - " Emmett waved his large arms at the two figures across the room, who spotted us and began making their way over. Both bowed their heads to President Cullen, though without smiling. She looked at them rather critically, which surprised me. I expected warmer treatment towards her son's good friends.

"I see the three of you still stick together," she said disapprovingly.

"It'll be the four of us again soon," Emmett said cheerfully, "Now that Eddie's back with us."

"Do you really think so?" President Cullen said, her eyebrows raised. The three boys just looked back at her without saying anything, and after a moment a smile crept across her face. It was a superior smile. "Well enjoy yourselves tonight, everyone. Especially you, Miss Swan," her green eyes found me again, "Seeing as you are here by my own personal invitation."

She swept away, arms folded, leaving me feeling sicker than ever.

"Her personal invitation?" Jasper repeated with a frown, "Does that mean Edward's _mother_ invited you here?"

"I guess so," I said weakly.

"Why would she do that?"

"Something sinister, no doubt," Jacob muttered.

Alice grabbed at my arm suddenly in a panic, "Wait, Bella - does that mean Edward won't know you're here?"

Cold fear filled my lungs. I hadn't been prepared for this - if Edward wasn't expecting to see me here... _Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I need to get out of here. _But before I could make a run for it, the guests were being called to their seats. I glanced at Alice, terrified, and her face was full of ardent sympathy.

It was Jacob Black, however, who put a firm hand on my arm and led me to sit down at a table.

"You're not thinking of running away, are you?" he said out of the corner of his mouth.

"Why can't I?" I demanded, though I didn't bother struggling against him. I stared at him indignantly as I was plonked none too gently in a seat.

"Because it solves nothing, Bella. You should know that full well by now."

"There's nothing to solve!" I insisted stubbornly.

Jacob looked at me, and I immediately sobered up. His gaze was serious and somewhat imploring as he said, "Just... sit it out, Bella. I know it won't be easy."

And even though nothing made any sense, even though I was honestly anxious of what might happen tonight, I shut my mouth and nodded. _There are so many people here, he most likely won't see me. It won't matter. I'll just sit it out and leave with Alice as soon as politely possible._ That made me feel slightly less nervous.

Respectful applause rose from the tables around us. President Cullen had stepped onto the stage, wearing a welcoming smile as she beheld her guests. "Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family, I am honoured by your presence tonight at my son's nineteenth birthday celebration. And now the young man of the hour - Edward."

Cheers now joined the heightened applause as Edward Cullen walked onto stage. I tried to clap along naturally, watching as he stood and smiled at the audience. When had he learnt to present himself like that, respectful and polite?

An enormous cake was brought out, decorated with nineteen candles; the lights were dimmed; and violins began to play Happy Birthday. I sang softly along with the crowd, although I felt distant, faraway from the party hall.

_"You have to make a wish, blow it out, and then eat it."_

"Happy birthday to you."

_"That's so childish, Bella."_

"Happy birthday to you."

_"Just do it!"_

"Happy birthday dear Edward..."

_"Congratulations, Edward Cullen. You have officially celebrated your birthday." _

I gave a small smile at the faraway memory. "...happy birthday to you," I whispered along with the rest. Edward leant over and blew out all nineteen candles, emerging with a smile as everyone cheered and clapped. I didn't join in this time. My earlier anxiety and panic had receded, leaving me subdued and rather blank.

President Cullen was back on stage, addressing her audience again. Edward stood a little to the side behind her. I couldn't help noticing that even though he was wearing a smile, it didn't quite reach his eyes as he listened to his mother's words.

"Yes, it's a very happy occassion indeed. However, I do have a very special announcement to make concerning my son, the future heir of Meyer Group." President Cullen paused dramatically as a curious buzz began around the tables.

"Uh oh," Emmett said audibly, "What is she up to this time?"

"Here comes another bombshell," sighed Jasper, "Looks like Edward's not in on the secret." I looked up on stage, where Edward was indeed gazing at his mother with an incredulous and slightly apprehensive frown.

"It is my great delight to announce the engagement of my son Edward Cullen with Avi Tsuda of Tsuda Enterprises."

I felt like I was being rapidly moved away from my surroundings. The words made little sense to me, so I could not understand why they made me feel the way I did - simultaneously empty and sick. It took me awhile to become aware of what was happening.

"I now invite Miss Tsuda to join us on stage," President Cullen was beaming; no doubt this engagement made her very happy. She extended her arm to the right, where a girl was being led on stage, looking lost and confused. She was Japanese; slim and pretty, her dark hair piled up in a bun. She didn't look much older than I was, and with an odd jolt, I recognised her.

_"We call it taiyaki - it's a fish-shaped waffle with red bean inside, it's so good. Try it!"_

_It's... her?_ I thought in a daze.

President Cullen was speaking; her voice sounded as if I hearing it on the other side of a bad line. I couldn't concentrate. There were too many thoughts whirring around my head. _Engagement... engagement. _I didn't notice the way Alice was gripping my hand, looking at me in alarm, or the way Jacob was carefully assessing my expression. I must have been chalk white.

"I... I need to go," I blurted out, rising from my chair. But at the moment, President Cullen looked over at me and she was smiling. My heart stopped.

"I would like to invite Miss Isabella Swan to play a piece on the piano to congratulate the new couple. Miss Swan attends St. Meyer School on our music scholarship and I daresay we'd all like to hear her talents tonight."

To my horror, heads turned in my direction, catching me half-risen from my seat. People smiled at me benevolently, expectantly.

But my eyes automatically darted to Edward. I was right; he hadn't been expecting me here at all. There was an undisguised look of shock on his features as he recognised me, a bewildered frown twisting his brow.

My throat was too tight to speak; the pressure of everyone's gaze made my head throb; and the pure disbelief that President Cullen could be so cruel was suffocating. I fled the scene, knocking my seat as I whirled around and hurried out of the hall.

"I'll apologise for that display of rudeness," I heard President Cullen say serenely as I stormed through the double doors.

_Just get out of here... just get out of here..._

The ache in my chest was starting to hurt again, but I fought to keep it at bay as I took long, frantic strides down the empty elegant hallway. I was only halfway down when I heard the double doors burst open again behind me.

"Bella!"

Edward Cullen was calling after me, but I ignored him.

"Bella! Hey, come on - stop!"

I heard him running towards me and I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun him, especially in my dress and heels. Mustering up all my self-restraint, I spun around and faced him angrily, "What?"

He seemed taken-back as he stopped before me. The look on his face softened, and at that moment I hated, really hated how familiar and yet foreign his features were to me. I hated how much I wanted to look at him even now, because it had been so long.

"...Why are you here?" he finally asked.

I gave a derisive laugh, "You can ask your mother."

Something like anger and disbelief flickered across Edward's face as he said, "She invited you?" He turned away and shut his eyes for a second before turning back to me in a temper. "Don't you ever learn, Bella? She's not someone you have who listen to. You're just making it harder for yourself."

His words brought no pain or whiplash. I was surprisingly emotionless. "Why do you care?" I asked him.

Edward looked at me uncertainly, "What?"

"What does it even matter to you?" I whispered.

Silence lay between us for a long while. I had the feeling Edward was at a loss as to what to say. The small part of me that still cared at this moment realised the difference between how he was acting now to the way he had been in Japan. But the dominant part was emotionless and tired. Tired of everything.

"Listen, Bella..." he finally ventured.

But I interrupted him, "Congratulations on your engagement."

"Don't mention that to me," Edward said curtly, "Bella, listen to me - we need to talk."

"About what?" I asked wearily, now close to tears, "All the talking is done, Edward. It was done in Japan. We... we have nothing left to say to each other."

"I'm glad you've realised that," said a voice behind us, and we both turned around to see President Cullen walking towards us. A powerful surge of loathing rose in me like bile at the sight of her, but I clamped my mouth shut. Behind her, I could see Alice, F3 and Edward's new fiancee hurrying over.

"Wait - Madam President!" she called in distress. She came to a stop beside me, looking fervently at the president, "Are you _serious_ about this engagement? I thought my parents were joking... this isn't a game show or anything, right?"

"It's true, Avi. Your parents and I have been discussing it for the last two months or so now."

Avi looked bewildered, "Don't - don't we get to have a say in this too?"

President Cullen looked mildly intrigued, "Are you going to object? Go ahead. But is there any reason to? What's there not to like about each other?" She smiled indulgently, gesturing between Avi and Edward, who was looking determinedly at the floor.

I'd had enough of this. "Thank you for the evening, I'll be taking my leave now," I said icily.

"No, this won't do - we need to talk," Edward interrupted angrily. Without even looking back, he reached out and grabbed Avi's hand, dragging her down the hallway. She stumbled after him and I stared, struggling to contain my feelings at the sight. I couldn't deny that that had hurt, and yet I was angry at myself for allowing it to have that effect. _Nothing should hurt anymore. _

President Cullen couldn't have looked any more smug as she regarded me.

"I thought you were leaving, Miss Swan?" she said simply. She turned to leave, acknowledging the others with a glance, "Enjoy the rest of the evening, everyone."

I don't know how long I stood there, feeling anger, frustration and hurt coarse through my veins like poison. At last, Alice broke the tense silence. "That horrible woman, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind," she growled, spinning around. Jasper grabbed onto her and took control of the situation at once.

He nodded over at me, "Jacob, take Bella home."

Alice stopped struggling in his arms immediately, "No, I want to stay with Bella - "

"I think she needs time by herself," Jasper said quietly. He looked up at us again and gave us all a nod without smiling, "See you all later."

"Come on, Bella," Jacob said, walking towards me. He gave me a nudge with his elbow and I started walking automatically, without any real thought of where I was going. Fortunately he led the way, and I was grateful that he didn't stand beside me or feel the need to support me with an arm or something. I knew the blank look on my face would have caused most people to do that. But Jacob gave me my space. He said nothing as he drove me home, and still said nothing when we arrived and I hadn't got out yet.

Finally, I broke the silence.

"I sat it out."

I heard him exhale in amusement. "That didn't count. You ran out halfway."

I sighed, staring at the interior of his car, "You're too harsh."

Jacob snickered, "I told you it would be hard."

"I feel stupid."

"I know."

I shot him an incredulous look, looking at him for the first time in the car. Jacob returned it and smirked, "These things always make us feel stupid. Fools in love. Stupid in love. I'm with stupid. It typically runs like that."

I snorted in laughter and he smiled.

"Go home and sleep on it, Bella. And just don't look too sad. It's hard for other people to see."

"Thanks, Jake," I said, and gave him a proper smile, "I'll keep that in mind."

I got out of the car and slowly walked into the house, glad that everyone was already sleep. My smile was long gone as I lumbered up the stairs, feeling like each step weighed down heavily on my heart. Had I been any less self-absorbed, I would have noticed how the white Volkswagen stayed parked in front of my house until I finally turned off my lamp.

* * *

**EDWARD POV.**

* * *

Putting on a mask requires much self control and discipline. It means you need to focus all your energy into maintaining the facade, so much sometimes that you might lose yourself. You forget how you really feel and who you really are in the effort of pretense.

But at other times, it's impossible.

"I don't know how dimwitted you have to be to _still _come here after - after everything." The words were escaping my mouth without restraint; my frustration had peaked and was finding its only outlet through ranting. "Really, don't you ever learn? Haven't you matured at all since a year ago? I really don't know what to do with you..."

There was no rational thought in my mind as I strode on indignantly. The streets outside were dark and cold, and I had no sense of where I was going. But it didn't matter.

"So are you done yet?" said a breathless voice behind me.

It was only then that I turned around - and instantly dropped her hand, my eyes widening in shock. Because for some unfathomable and senseless reason, it wasn't Bella who stood there, but the other girl. My _fiancee. _Did anything make sense anymore? She was glaring up at me, clutching at her sides painfully and panting.

"What - what are you doing here?" I demanded.

"Are you kidding me? _You're _the one who's been dragging me for the past ten minutes, raving on and on like a maniac!" she exclaimed, annoyed, "I was wondering when you'd stop so I'd be able to say something."

I gazed at her incomprehensibly for a few seconds as things made sense. _I must have grabbed her hand by mistake. _I mentally sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Although the logical side of me knew it was probably better that I had evaded Bella, I still winced and felt the disappointment.

"Well - none of that matters anymore," I said shortly, distractedly, "You can go back."

I made to leave with other pressing matters on mind, but I had not foreseen that this girl would be so stubborn. Her hand closed around my wrist in a vice-like grip and I looked at her in consternation. "What?" I all but snapped. In the last twelve months, I'd learnt to hold myself well, to be polite and professional in all my conduct. But my old temper had returned and I didn't necessarily care about manners in this situation.

She didn't seem at all fazed. Instead, raising an eyebrow she said, "It's Edward, isn't it? Edward Cullen." I stared dubiously back at her. "You have some sort of prince syndrome, don't you?"

"What?" I said again. My patience was wearing thin.

She smirked, "So you're one of _those _type of heir kids."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked in spite of myself. The way she regarded me cheerfully was unnerving.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Anyway, I can't go back - I have no idea where I am."

"Call a cab."

"Then give me money."

"_What_?" She was really testing my patience; a fact lost on her as she continued to look at me, wide-eyed and innocent. It occurred to me that this was a girl who would be very difficult to intimidate or bully.

"You dragged me all the way out here - it's freezing and I don't have my purse! So give me money for the cab."

I stared hard at her then said simply, "No."

I was walking away when suddenly there was a pair of arms wrapped around my neck. Shock and disbelief rocketed through me. I yelped; the infernal girl had jumped onto my back so that I was hunched over. "Get off me!" I said as we struggled.

"You're such a prick! How could you just leave a young lady out in the cold with no money when _you're_ the one who dragged her out here in the first place!" she shrilled, keeping her arms tight around my neck.

"Get - _off_!" I yelped. I finally caught hold of one of her arms and was prepared to force her off, but just as that plan formed there was a sharp pain in my hand and I roared, withdrawing it at once.

I stared at her as she finally slid off me, raising her eyebrows and watching me. I held my hand close to myself.

"Did you just bite me?" I asked in disbelief. She nodded and I gaped at her, "What are you - some sort of cannibal?"

"Count yourself lucky, I could have done worse things," she said haughtily.

I could not believe the nerve of her, and yet I couldn't deny that the tiniest trace of fear mingled my disbelief. There was something honestly messed up with this girl. I took a tentative step backwards, still cradling my hand. She looked soberly back at me, and for the first time I felt a twinge of responsbility.

"Take it, take it all," I said, thrusting my wallet into her hands. "Just get yourself back."

She said nothing, but stared at me in surprise. I took another look back at her, wearing nothing but that thin gown, and something about the image reminded me of Japanese sake. Sighing in exasperation, I wordlessly pulled off my jacket and threw it at her as well. I didn't pause to assess her expression, but turned around and walked away.

The encounter with that girl had temporarily driven my troubles out of my mind, but by the time I arrived home they possessed me again.

I stepped into the foyer where Alec stood. I didn't wait for him to say anything.

"Where is she?" I asked levelly.

Alec inclined his head, "Madam President is in her office." He had barely finished the sentence when I swept past him, walking to the one room in the house I'd always avoided.

Elizabeth Cullen was still sitting at her desk, even at this late hour. She really was professional, through and through. She looked up at me when I burst through the doors, trying to reign in my temper.

"You're home," she stated.

I didn't have the energy or time to play games, to put on masks and facades. "Why did you invite Bella?" I asked baldly, staring right at her.

"To have her understand her place," she said carelessly, looking back down at her work, "Needless to say, you did your job well in Tokyo. However, with your return back in the country, I thought she might need a little reminder."

"I told you," I said in a low voice that trembled; my fists were clenched at my sides, "That I would take care of it. Why are you still interfering with her?"

"And I have every confidence that you will take care of it. I just thought you'd like the little help. I don't doubt that you'll forget your place, Edward, as heir of your father's company." She stared pointedly at me and I faltered a bit at her words.

Elizabeth cocked her head to the side, "But why do you ask, Edward? You can't possibly still _care_ for that girl, can you?"

I lifted my gaze back to her coldly and growled, "Just leave her alone. I've done everything you wanted."

I turned around, making my leave, but she spoke again.

"About the engagement, Edward - "

"I don't want to talk about that now," I said shortly, suddenly feeling tired in every sense of that word. "Just... not now."

It seemed to take a long time before I reached my bedroom. It hadn't changed at all in the last twelve months I hadn't been sleeping here. I turned my head to the side, taking in the sight of dozens of presents sitting on my mahogany table. The maids must have stacked them in here. I looked at them without feeling anything, with no change to my expression. Indifferent, unmoved, stoic.

There were big and small presents, all wrapped perfectly in shades of blue, silver and gold, done up with ribbon and bows. I was about to pass them when one particular bag caught my eye. The gift bag was yellow with a pattern of teddy bears.

I walked over and took it slowly, unsure of what I was doing. Sitting down, I pulled out what was inside; two jam jars with no labels. I frowned, staring at them uncomprehendingly. I must have sat there for a long time, just looking at them and trying to bully my brain into making sense of them.

And then I saw the small birthday card at the bottom of the bag.

_Dear Edward Cullen,_

_This is homemade jam. It's a year old now but don't worry, jam gets better with age according to my mum._

_Happy Birthday. I hope your day was filled with only happy things._

_Bella._

I sat quite still, my extremities having gone numb. A quiet kind of eruption sent frustration and bitterness thundering down my veins as I clutched the card, reading and re-reading it over and over. In a howling tangle, memories from a year ago rushed through my mind.

I sank beneath the surface of self-loathing, still grasping the card as I put my face in my hands and fisted my hair.

"Bella, I'm sorry," I whispered.

_"Congratulations, Edward Cullen. You have officially celebrated your birthday." _

"And now what?" I murmured.

_"Now eat the cake."_

I cracked a wry smile, "But what I can do? I still don't like cake."

_She narrowed her eyes. "You don't play fair."_

"All's fair in love and war," my mouth framed the words in a broken whisper, and yet I heard my voice saying them, clearly and happily in a past echo.

_"There are still five minutes left of your birthday, and I just thought of something else I can do for you."_

"Not that again," I muttered to myself in the darkness. "You can't do the same thing two years in a row. You'll have to think of something new."

_"Today, the day you were born, is a really precious day. Thank you for being born, Edward."_

Some part inside my chest moved, sending an unknown and untraceable pain coursing through my body. My mouth was shaking as I moved my fists to rub my eyes.

"I miss you, Bella."

* * *

A/N: Alive? Yes I am. :) Busy? Indeed. Wrote most of this when I had a sudden and unexpected break while being overseas. It's not my best chapter because it's rather rushed, but hope you have enjoyed it nonetheless. :) If you seriously want some closure, please watch the dramas! They will satisfy you. :) For the Japanese version it's called _Hana Yori Dango_ and the Korean one is named _Boys Over Flowers/Boys Before Flowers_. You can find them online.

Then watch _Secret Garden_ - it's the latest drama I watched and it captured my heart so much more than I thought it would. Its soundtrack is playing on repeat right now as I type. My parents are also watching the movie 2012 as I type. Hahaha. I think this wins as most random author's note in awhile! Thanks for reading and especially to those who have messaged me to hurry up - I'M SORRY. :( - msq.


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